Science Pulse

Otzi the Iceman is a 5,300-year-old mummy from the Italian Alps, and scientists now say his microbiome is still showing signs of life.

His body was preserved by extreme cold after he was killed by an arrow. Even after thousands of years, researchers have found that microscopic organisms connected to him may still be active.

The discovery focuses on ancient gut bacteria and cold-adapted yeast strains found in and on the mummy. Some of these microbes appear to have survived in the unusual conditions created by ice, time, and modern preservation.

A 2026 study identified as 10.1186/s40168-026-02417-6 reported that Otzi’s microbial community includes both ancient and more recent microorganisms. The research found evidence that some cold-loving yeasts may remain metabolically active and may even be capable of replication under current storage conditions.

This makes Otzi more than a preserved body from the past. He is also a rare window into ancient human biology, early gut microbes, and the surprising ways microscopic life can endure for thousands of years.

The finding adds new importance to how the mummy is protected. Preserving Otzi now means protecting not only his body, but also the delicate biological traces that still live within it.

Astronomers have identified TOI 1452 b, a remarkable planet that may be covered almost completely by water.

Instead of continents, mountains, beaches, or dry land, this world may have deep oceans stretching across the entire planet from pole to pole.

TOI 1452 b is located about 100 light years from Earth in the constellation Draco. It was announced in 2022 after observations from NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and follow up work with powerful ground based telescopes.

Scientists estimate that the planet is about 70 percent larger than Earth. Research from the 2022 TOI 1452 b study suggests it may contain a much larger amount of water than our own planet.

On Earth, water makes up less than 1 percent of the planet's total mass. TOI 1452 b may be very different, with models suggesting that water could make up a significant part of the planet.

Some models point to global oceans that may extend hundreds of miles below the surface. If this is correct, the planet would not look like Earth at all.

It could be a world with no visible land, only a vast ocean horizon beneath an alien sky. Its surface may be shaped by endless water, deep pressure, and conditions unlike anything humans have seen.

This discovery matters because ocean rich planets have been predicted for years, but they are difficult to confirm. TOI 1452 b gives scientists an important example to study as they learn how common these water worlds may be.

Since the 1990s, astronomers have confirmed more than 5,000 exoplanets. Many of them have shown that our solar system may not be the most typical model for planets in the universe.

TOI 1452 b is another reminder that planets can form in strange and surprising ways. Far beyond Earth, entire worlds may exist with environments that are completely different from anything familiar to us.