The radioactive ‘miracle water’ that killed its believers - Popular Science

One of the world's largest uranium mines, the Wismut GmbH Schlema-Alberoda operation in what was then Soviet East Germany, left behind a toxic legacy. But within the contaminated water that has since flooded the mine, evolution may already be brewing up a solution. The mine site was closed in 1990, with the reunification of Germany, and has since been subject to costly and time-consuming remediation efforts. In its retirement, the underground mine became flooded with water, which has required continuous treatment. You may already be aware that raw uranium is highly radioactive, and exposure to it – for instance, by drinking contaminated water – can cause serious damage to humans and other living things. Yet, some organisms are actually making a living in the uranium-laden mine water; it's home to an entire ecosystem of microbes. And, as scientists have recently discovered, those microbes can actually stabilize uranium under certain conditions. An illustration representing the formation of different nanoparticles in the cell membranes of bacteria from mine water. (HZDR/J. Raff/E.

AustraliaAqua Paradiso was an exhibition curated in 2022 by the National Asian Culture Center (ACC). This contemporary art project brought together 11 artists from Asia and around the world to explore the theme of “water” from aesthetic, philosophical, and ecological perspectives. The exhibition took place over a three-month period at ACC in Gwangju, offering a multilayered examination of the primordial  nature of life contained within water and its relationship with human society. Aqua Paradiso now continues in 2026 as a touring exhibition at Korean Cultural Centres in India and Australia. This edition features three of the Korean artists who took part in the original exhibition: Hyewon Kwon, Boo Jihyun, and Eunhae Jung (eco orot). Each uses a different visual language to approach the responsiveness and dynamics of water and the transformative sensibilities of the Anthropocene era. More than just a resource or part of the backdrop, the exhibition looks at water as a sensory presence and ecological actor. Ancient civilizations viewed water as the emotional product of transcendent deities, harboring feelings of the sublime in the face of its overwhelming majesty.