Scientists suspect the lake's depths will reveal new life forms, show how the planet was before the ice age and how life evolved. It could offer a glimpse at what conditions for life exist in the similar extremes of Mars and Jupiter's moon Europa.

"It's like exploring an alien planet where no one has been before. We don't know what we'll find," said Valery Lukin of Russia's Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) in St Petersburg, which oversees the expedition.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/04/us-russia-antarctica-lake-idINTRE7135MB20110204

Very cool. I'd love to see pictures from in there. Who knows what awaits. This line is scary and exciting at the same time:

'The explorers now face the question: How do we go where no one has gone before without spoiling it or bringing back some foreign virus?'

It's kind of scary and exciting at the same time. I honestly can't wait to see what they find.

Totally expected images of Thing in this thread today. lol

Inb4pics

On a serious note, I've been waiting so long for someone to do this. I think they'll find flora/fauna of a less extreme variety. Maybe even some tropical climate vegetation. Giving us all a more clear picture of the axis wobble our planet bends to. Translation: The Antarctic wasn't always cold and under ice. It may have even once been on or near the equator.

It's exciting news. It truly is. I just hope we get to hear everything about it.