{
  "story_id": "393d855f9b36ecdd6468cef97989d590",
  "desk": "drm3",
  "revision": 1,
  "published_at": "2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z",
  "content_hash": "77f47c8ff88502c6a3f2285501d1beab0eadb21babf4a6834aed072ea2d260b9",
  "hash_basis": "sha256 over `headline\\ndek\\nprose`, plus `\\n` + the canonical citations JSON when any source is placed, plus `\\n#blog` for blogs",
  "basis": {
    "headline": "Scientists Discover 'Alien'-Like Marine Microbe in Scotland",
    "dek": "Researchers at Heriot-Watt University identified a new microbe that reproduces by bursting internally, resembling the film 'Alien'.",
    "prose": "Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, in collaboration with Strameno Ltd., CEFAS, and the University of Stirling, discovered a new marine microorganism named Caledochytrium aldermanii. [^1]\n\nA Reddit user with the nickname Runkyrunk uploaded a video showing his friend cleaning a strange, white object covered in slime found in a backyard. [^2]\n\nResearchers observed that Caledochytrium aldermanii reproduces by developing a cavity within a mature cell to grow daughter cells before the mother cell bursts to release them. [^3]\n\nThe new microbe, Caledochytrium aldermanii, belongs to the Labyrinthulomycetes group and was identified in marine environments in Scotland. [^4]\n\nMost commenters focused on the user's lack of caution in handling an unknown and potentially dangerous object with bare hands. [^5]\n\nOne commenter identified the object as a mushroom known as 'vesper' or 'common fly agaric', noting that it is sometimes called a 'witch's egg' due to medieval superstitions. [^6]\n\nThe microbe was found in association with octopuses and their lairs, as well as rainbow trout, and independently in a salt marsh on the eastern coast of Scotland. [^7]\n\nA user jokingly suggested that the person should have rubbed the slime in their eyes and recorded the results as a scientific experiment. [^8]",
    "cited": "[{\"statement\":\"Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, in collaboration with Strameno Ltd., CEFAS, and the University of Stirling, discovered a new marine microorganism named Caledochytrium aldermanii.\",\"source\":\"El Heraldo de México\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"El Heraldo de México\"]},{\"statement\":\"A Reddit user with the nickname Runkyrunk uploaded a video showing his friend cleaning a strange, white object covered in slime found in a backyard.\",\"source\":\"Lenta.ru\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Lenta.ru\"]},{\"statement\":\"Researchers observed that Caledochytrium aldermanii reproduces by developing a cavity within a mature cell to grow daughter cells before the mother cell bursts to release them.\",\"source\":\"El Heraldo de México\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"El Heraldo de México\"]},{\"statement\":\"The new microbe, Caledochytrium aldermanii, belongs to the Labyrinthulomycetes group and was identified in marine environments in Scotland.\",\"source\":\"El Heraldo de México\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"El Heraldo de México\"]},{\"statement\":\"Most commenters focused on the user's lack of caution in handling an unknown and potentially dangerous object with bare hands.\",\"source\":\"Lenta.ru\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Lenta.ru\"]},{\"statement\":\"One commenter identified the object as a mushroom known as 'vesper' or 'common fly agaric', noting that it is sometimes called a 'witch's egg' due to medieval superstitions.\",\"source\":\"Lenta.ru\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Lenta.ru\"]},{\"statement\":\"The microbe was found in association with octopuses and their lairs, as well as rainbow trout, and independently in a salt marsh on the eastern coast of Scotland.\",\"source\":\"El Heraldo de México\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"El Heraldo de México\"]},{\"statement\":\"A user jokingly suggested that the person should have rubbed the slime in their eyes and recorded the results as a scientific experiment.\",\"source\":\"Lenta.ru\",\"instrument\":\"News\",\"claim_key\":null,\"published_at\":\"2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z\",\"publisher_count\":1,\"sources\":[\"Lenta.ru\"]}]",
    "kind": "news"
  },
  "receipt_verify": "Ed25519 over the dot-joined string `slice_hash.cursor_from.cursor_to.view.view_version.row_count`; public_key and sig are base64url of the raw 32-byte key / 64-byte signature",
  "receipt": null,
  "receipt_note": "this revision predates receipt-keeping (before v0.37.0); the filed row lives in the record",
  "generation_chain": {
    "wire": {
      "stream": "fountain_news",
      "story_id": "0ee193ad57a675d714103ac9bb3c2e24",
      "thread_id": "c2e8e45ce6fcf455306421ab05fefecf",
      "thread_label": "Alien",
      "novelty": "UPDATE",
      "content_hash": "e522d920c47c8ad57585d58beba8c71ff478e2890c83f26f1f2e2d306e2c5559",
      "last_published_at": "2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z",
      "read_receipt": {
        "slice_hash": "ba8b7a22160a70cda9b3eba69b9724d65eea423f567e456481119dcbe9040c71",
        "cursor_from": "eyJ0cyI6IjIwMjYtMDktMDNUMDI6NTE6MTkuMDAwMDAwWiIsImlkIjoiNTU5MGI3OGYwMzBhYmRlMWI5NDMwMGU1ZjU0NGNmMmYiLCJ2IjoiMSJ9",
        "cursor_to": "eyJ0cyI6IjIwMjYtMDktMDNUMDM6MzI6MTkuMDAwMDAwWiIsImlkIjoiNzMzZDYyYTFiNGQwMmJmNjYzNTk3YjhmN2JhZDBiZTIiLCJ2IjoiMSJ9",
        "view": "v_fountain_news",
        "view_version": "1",
        "row_count": 100,
        "window_days": 3,
        "bytes_scanned": 12568115,
        "credits": 8,
        "price_per_100_rows": 8,
        "sig": "EECXbqHvamgPVnwhppM7Omo90HrnUowBSU8vVtw4w5pKl9-Gmz3MGCjY_4qTOdg0mLzfb5fKxH-SRaSqJfvlAQ",
        "public_key": "bMUigy8O0jOnBxQ4Sc-5lwhIZ8LQVAhxMbR7qESVuUE",
        "signer_path": "lakehouse/data-extract/v1",
        "alg": "Ed25519",
        "signed": true
      }
    },
    "written_at": "2026-09-03T06:46:12.322Z"
  },
  "cited_facts": [
    {
      "statement": "Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, in collaboration with Strameno Ltd., CEFAS, and the University of Stirling, discovered a new marine microorganism named Caledochytrium aldermanii.",
      "source": "El Heraldo de México",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "El Heraldo de México"
      ]
    },
    {
      "statement": "A Reddit user with the nickname Runkyrunk uploaded a video showing his friend cleaning a strange, white object covered in slime found in a backyard.",
      "source": "Lenta.ru",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "Lenta.ru"
      ]
    },
    {
      "statement": "Researchers observed that Caledochytrium aldermanii reproduces by developing a cavity within a mature cell to grow daughter cells before the mother cell bursts to release them.",
      "source": "El Heraldo de México",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "El Heraldo de México"
      ]
    },
    {
      "statement": "The new microbe, Caledochytrium aldermanii, belongs to the Labyrinthulomycetes group and was identified in marine environments in Scotland.",
      "source": "El Heraldo de México",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "El Heraldo de México"
      ]
    },
    {
      "statement": "Most commenters focused on the user's lack of caution in handling an unknown and potentially dangerous object with bare hands.",
      "source": "Lenta.ru",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "Lenta.ru"
      ]
    },
    {
      "statement": "One commenter identified the object as a mushroom known as 'vesper' or 'common fly agaric', noting that it is sometimes called a 'witch's egg' due to medieval superstitions.",
      "source": "Lenta.ru",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "Lenta.ru"
      ]
    },
    {
      "statement": "The microbe was found in association with octopuses and their lairs, as well as rainbow trout, and independently in a salt marsh on the eastern coast of Scotland.",
      "source": "El Heraldo de México",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-02T17:34:20.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "El Heraldo de México"
      ]
    },
    {
      "statement": "A user jokingly suggested that the person should have rubbed the slime in their eyes and recorded the results as a scientific experiment.",
      "source": "Lenta.ru",
      "instrument": "News",
      "claim_key": null,
      "published_at": "2026-09-03T03:00:25.000Z",
      "publisher_count": 1,
      "sources": [
        "Lenta.ru"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "note": "A signature proves who filed this and that it has not changed since. It never makes a claim true."
}