Sterilized Soil Continues to Release Carbon Dioxide for Six Years, Hinting at Origins of Life
By
By Siddhant Pusdekar June 1, 2026
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
A biochemist named Sébastien Fontaine conducted a 15-year experiment attempting to sterilize soil completely using gamma radiation to measure carbon release from dead soil. Surprisingly, even after all visible microbial life was eliminated, the soil continued to release carbon dioxide for six years, suggesting that lifelike biochemical processes can persist long after life itself is gone. This points to a metabolic theory for how life may have originated from non-living chemical systems.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledFor 15 years, Sébastien Fontaine has been trying to kill dirt.
Under a microscope, the irradiated soil showed no signs of life, but
Lifelike biochemistry continued to unfold in sterilized soil for six years, pointing to a metabolic theory for how biology began.
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