Many archaea are extremophiles. They thrive at high temperatures, at high pressure and in concentrated acidic environments. Nevertheless, the largest proportion and greatest diversity of archaea exist in cold environments. Most of the Earth's biosphere is cold, and archaea represent a significant fraction of the biomass. Although psychrophilic archaea have long been the neglected majority, the study of these microorganisms is beginning to come of age. This review casts a spotlight on the ecology, adaptation biology and unique science that is being realized from studies on cold-adapted archaea.