Why “Bacteria” is being discussed
The most recent Hacker News stories and comments contributing to this topic's mentions.
Same bacteria for both.
by fred_is_fred · Oct 5, 2026
I've got bad news for you. It may seem like a good thing that Y. Pestis is bacterial since we have antibiotics but remember that bacteria can become antibiotic resistant. You mi…
by pigpop · Oct 5, 2026
Every evolved trait has a cost. We as a civilization have certainly been careless with, say, antibiotic resistance. If we stopped using a certain antibiotic tomorrow and didn't…
by jmyeet · Oct 5, 2026
Jacobsen is also the author who claimed that the Roswell event was a Soviet plot to sow panic with an actual Nazi flying saucer piloted by genetically-engineered midgets, so I'd…
by HillRat · Oct 5, 2026
TLDR for this link is that they release male mosquitoes carrying a bacteria called Wolbachia. So this only affects the one species of mosquito they're targeting: Aedes aegypti.
by XargonEnder · Oct 5, 2026
And there might be a teapot on the other side of the sun. It’s bacteria, antibiotics work more generally than vaccines for viruses do. There are of course, antibiotic resistant…
by lovich · Oct 5, 2026
Interest
Proportion of Hacker News items mentioning "bacteria" over time.
Mentions
Total number of Hacker News items mentioning "bacteria" over time.
Bacteria are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were among the first life forms to appear on Earth, and are present in most of its habitats. Bacteria inhabit the air, soil, water, acidic hot springs, radioactive waste, and the deep biosphere of Earth's crust. Bacteria play a vital role in many stages of the nutrient cycle by recycling nutrients and the fixation of nitrogen from the atmosphere. The nutrient cycle includes the decomposition of dead bodies; bacteria are responsible for the putrefaction stage in this process. In the biological communities surrounding hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, extremophile bacteria provide the nutrients needed to sustain life by converting dissolved compounds, such as hydrogen sulphide and methane, to energy. Bacteria also live in mutualistic, commensal and parasitic relationships with plants and animals. Most bacteria have not been characterised and there are many species that cannot be grown in the laboratory. The study of bacteria is known as bacteriology, a branch of microbiology. Read more on Wikipedia