You always admire what you really don't understand.
—Eleanor Roosevelt

In July of 2001, oceanographers from the University of Washington discovered an incredible hydrothermal vent system in the middle of the Atlantic, aptly named "The Lost City of Atlantis." Some of the 'chimneys' for these vents reached over 200 feet above the seafloor, an unprecidented height for these underwater geysers. Why? Unlike previously explored vents, which are formed by volcanic heat, this system is instead fueled by 100% pure liquid hot magma. In the ten months since the discovery, the more that is understood about the Lost City, the more questions that arise. Can more life be supported at the bottom of the ocean than previously thought? Does life exist on other planets, such as Jupiter's icy moons where oceans exist under the surface? Could the origins of life come from the single-celled communities of hydrothermal vents?

"It's a really important find," says Karen Von Damm at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, who studies hydrothermal vents. "It shows that there are still a lot of things down there we don't know about."

So what is the lost city of Atlantis? Everyone from Genghis Khan, Columbus and Napoleon to Neffertiri, da Vinci and Christopher Wren has held a certain fascination for the mythical city. As Plato said in 360 BC: ...in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea." Indeed, this mysterious realm continues to intrigue us, even in popular culture such as last year's Disney feature film that pulls from a rich history surrounding the search for Atlantis.

Both the science and the myth of these two unknowns are attractive for mankind to pursue. For the thrill of discovery, the challenge of understanding, and the joy of learning are the driving forces that push us onward.

Read and use the interactive article from Science: "Life Without Volcanic Heat."

Do your own research with Walt Disney Pictures Atlantis: The Lost Empire, 2001.