Two new species, one $80 motel room, and a toothbrush with a new career.
The Riff. September 29, 2026
I’ve stayed in $80 motel rooms. The most significant thing I’ve discovered in one was that the ice machine didn’t work, and that if you stand in exactly the right spot, you can create a creaky symphony with the floorboards.
A group of scientists checked into a motel in Nags Head, North Carolina, and found two new species of Paulinella, a tiny organism that could help explain how photosynthesis evolved. They filled the room with jugs of brackish water and buckets of marsh grass. The bedside tables became microscope stands.
They put a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the door, which seems reasonable. I wouldn’t want housekeeping changing the sheets while I was trying to figure out the origins of plant life. Also, with organisms growing in the room before they checked in, are they really housekeeping?
Imagine being the person at the front desk watching these guests return every afternoon with more swamp.
“Did you enjoy the beach?”
“We found something in the water.”
“That happens. There’s a pharmacy across the street.”
One scientist needed a delicate tool to move the organisms around, so he glued toothbrush bristles to a colored pencil. He also used a mouth pipette, a tube that relies on suction, to separate specimens from the rest of the water sample.
I know people I’m related to who bring their own pillows to hotels. These people were putting their mouths near swamp science.
Paulinella matters because it seems to have done something extraordinary. Long ago, a single-celled organism took in a bacterium that could use sunlight for energy, and the two eventually became one. An earlier version of that partnership helped make plant life possible. Scientists hope Paulinella can show them more of how it happened.
There were only four known photosynthetic species of it before this trip. Now there are six. That is a substantial contribution from a room that may also have had a laminated card explaining how to connect to the Wi-Fi and a remote control that isn’t the same brand as the TV.
One of the scientists noticed a difference in the way the organisms’ tiny scales overlapped. In one, they ran one direction; in the other, they ran the opposite way. Further examination and DNA work confirmed they were looking at two new species.
I love that the first clue came from somebody paying close attention while sitting in a motel room. I’ve examined motel rooms closely, too, but usually I’m checking whether the stain on the carpet is moving.
I hope the motel puts up a plaque. “Two species discovered here. Please leave the microscope stands on the bedside tables.”
The front desk probably had its own theory about the “Do Not Disturb” sign, the secret meetings, and the people arriving with bags of equipment. The nerdiest affair ever. Then the guests checked out and announced they’d discovered two new species.
And when the scientists come back, give them the same room. They already know where everything is.
Just replace the toothbrush.
Inspired by Carolyn Y. Johnson’s report in The New York Times.
Don’t Pick What I Pick
Yesterday: 0–1. The Eagles lost to the Bears, 27–7. We asked Philadelphia to win a football game against Case Keenum. Keenum threw two touchdowns, ran for another, and made our one-pick Monday look like we had filled out the wrong form. Nevertheless, I’m happy for Keenum. Chicago is his eighth NFL stop, and he’s now won a start for seven different teams. He’s not sexy, but highly relatable.
ALL SPORTS: 1,102–1,114–7 · 12 net losses from .500.
TENNIS: 1–1
Today’s card has four individual picks: two baseball wild card openers and two WNBA playoff games. Everyone involved has considerably better equipment than the scientists in that motel room, though I’m no longer convinced that matters.
- Braves ML vs. Phillies — around −195. Chris Sale starts at home, and Philadelphia’s pitching plans got complicated on the final day of the regular season. We’re paying a steep price, but I like Atlanta to take Game 1.
- Yankees ML vs. Red Sox — around −140. Cam Schlittler gets the ball against Payton Tolle. With a low total and a rivalry game, I’m asking the Yankees to win without requesting a particular margin.
- Aces ML at Fever — around even money. Las Vegas won Game 1 by 17, and A’ja Wilson had 38 points and 16 rebounds. Indiana gets its home floor and a chance to keep the series alive. I’m taking the Aces to finish it.
- Lynx ML at Liberty — around −160. Minnesota lost Game 1 by 16 and now has to answer on the road. This is the pick most likely to make me stare at the television and insist the top seed remembers how to play basketball.
Four games. Four separate picks. I’m hoping at least one of them can operate without a toothbrush glued to a colored pencil.
This isn’t called Pick What I Pick.
It’s called Don’t Pick What I Pick.
Please wager accordingly.
