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Ice Worms Are Real : Short Wave On the mountaintop glaciers of the Pacific Northwest lives a mysterious, and often, overlooked creature. They're small, thread-like worms that wiggle through snow and ice. That's right, ice worms! NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks to Emily about how they survive in an extreme environment and why scientists don't understand some of the most basic facts about them.

For more of Nell's reporting, you can follow her on Twitter @nell_sci_NPR. You can follow Emily @emilykwong1234.

Email the show with suggestions or thoughts at ShortWave@NPR.org.

Short Wave

The Mysterious Ice Worm

The Mysterious Ice Worm

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Biologist Peter Wimberger holding an ice worm in the snow. Nell Greenfieldboyce/NPR hide caption

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Nell Greenfieldboyce/NPR

Biologist Peter Wimberger holding an ice worm in the snow.

Nell Greenfieldboyce/NPR

On the mountaintop glaciers of the Pacific Northwest lives a mysterious, and often, overlooked creature. They're small, thread-like worms that wiggle through snow and ice. That's right, ice worms!

NPR science correspondent Nell Greenfieldboyce talks to Emily about how they survive in an extreme environment and why scientists don't understand some of the most basic facts about them.

For more of Nell's reporting, you can read her story on ice worms here, and follow her on Twitter @nell_sci_NPR. You can follow Emily @emilykwong1234.

Email the show with suggestions or thoughts at ShortWave@NPR.org.

This episode was produced by Thomas Lu, edited by Gisele Grayson and Viet Le, and fact-checked by Indi Khera. The audio engineer for this episode was Josh Newell.