Staff at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute are proposing that a genetic backup of endangered life on Earth be placed in a permanently dark location on the moon, where no power would be needed to store it for millions of years. The scheme could allow scientists to restore the organisms should they die out for whatever reason. The subzero Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway’s Arctic was designed as a similar backup, but melting permafrost due to global heating is threatening its long-term security.

adapted with permission from Earthweek.com