Ancient cave microbes in New Mexico thrive on unseen light

Microbes in Carlsbad Caverns toes the line between geology and biology, as cyanobacteria living on cave walls photosynthesize using near-infrared light that human eyes can’t see; the reflected light concentrates far from entrances, suggesting life could persist in ultra-dark, light-limited environments and offering clues for detecting life on other worlds, potentially guiding NASA’s future research with the James Webb Space Telescope.