Jobson says, noting that their work relied on decades of prior research on sea cucumber biology by other scientists. Furthermore, the tiny pieces of sea cucumber were interacting with their environment, meaning their neural network showed some healing and function. But because the tank used in the experiments contained water pumped straight from the nearby bay—microorganisms, bacteria, and all—Jobson suspects there are lots of “zombie” cucumber explants surviving in natural habitats. They’re not functioning the way a sea cucumber would, but they’re not dying either, so they’re in this gray zone.” For Jobson, who, along with the research team, has jokingly called the cucumber parts “lab zombies,” the explants are straddling the line of functioning as a third state of life.