One amoeba divided at 145°F. It also moved and survived brief exposure at hotter temperatures—but those are three different tests.
The fire amoeba, *Incendiamoeba cascadensis*, set the reported eukaryotic growth record at 63°C (145°F). This episode shows exactly what was measured, why the old 60°C limit changed, and what researchers still do not know about its heat tolerance.
0:00 Three temperatures, three questions
0:41 A new eukaryotic growth record
1:31 Division, movement, and recovery
2:29 How could the cell tolerate heat?
3:22 What the record does and does not cover
4:09 The answer
Sources:
– Rappaport et al., Cell (September 22, 2026):
– NASA research account:
– Syracuse University research coverage:
Geothermal, cell and lab scenes are original illustrations/schematics, not microscope footage or photographs from the study. Division timing and poses are diagrammatic. Narration uses Microsoft Clipchamp’s synthetic Andrew voice. No NASA or researcher endorsement is implied.
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