Found the article. (or at least it seems to be, given it studies “60 samples of belly buttons” and finds “2368 phylotypes of bacteria”. I don’t see anything in this study about “1458 bacteria completely new to science” or anything about the Japanese soil thing.
It’s entirely possible I’m looking at the wrong study, but generally, it’s a safe assumption that the source for memes like this is a half-remembered telephone game at best.
I don’t know where you’re getting the idea that “bacteria aren’t claasified as species”.
They definitely, definitely are. That “coli” in “E. coli” is its specific name.
Streptococcus mutans, for example, the oral bacteria that metabolizes sugar into lactic acid causing dental carries, is kingdom Bacillati, phylum Bacillota, class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, family Streptococcaceae, and then obviously genus Streptococcus and species S. mutans.
Found the article. (or at least it seems to be, given it studies “60 samples of belly buttons” and finds “2368 phylotypes of bacteria”. I don’t see anything in this study about “1458 bacteria completely new to science” or anything about the Japanese soil thing.
It’s entirely possible I’m looking at the wrong study, but generally, it’s a safe assumption that the source for memes like this is a half-remembered telephone game at best.
Gripped from the first sentence
I think this article is the source: The Atlantic (archived)
But there’s no oil from Japan, only bacteria found in soil from Japan.
Edit: the website from the research team is still up.
Oh, I meant the euphemism for turning belly button oil into sauce 😂😂😂😂
I appreciate your commitment to the internet ❤️
Bacteria aren’t classified as species for a reason, discovering new kind isn’t terribly remarkable.
I don’t know where you’re getting the idea that “bacteria aren’t claasified as species”.
They definitely, definitely are. That “coli” in “E. coli” is its specific name.
Streptococcus mutans, for example, the oral bacteria that metabolizes sugar into lactic acid causing dental carries, is kingdom Bacillati, phylum Bacillota, class Bacilli, order Lactobacillales, family Streptococcaceae, and then obviously genus Streptococcus and species S. mutans.
Nerd!