drb
logo



"QUANTUM SHOT" #293(rev)
Link - article by Max Miroff and Avi Abrams




These tiny creatures can withstand more hardship than any other animal on the planet, and you can probably find some in your backyard. They are truly nature's greatest survivors.

Tardigrades (Known as water bears or moss piglets) are some of the most interesting animals in the world, simply because they can survive so well in the most extreme conditions.



(images credit: Eye Of Science/SPL/Solent, waterbears)


Careful! It's got claws! -







(images credit: Willow Gabriel, Goldstein Lab)


These small, segmented animals were discovered by Johann August Ephraim Goeze, an aquatic zoologist, in 1773. Over 900 species of water bears have been found everywhere around the world - from the Himalayan mountains (at elevations of over 6000 meters) to deep ocean areas (4000 meters below sea level). They are most often discovered on mosses, lichens, and various types of sediments. An easy way to observe them is to soak a piece of moss in spring water.

Tardigrade in the moss water:


(image credit: Jasper Nance)


Freeze them, boil them, dry them, expose them to open space & radiation - and after 200 years they'll still be alive!

The amazing thing about these tiny, 1mm creatures is just how resilient they are to about everything. You can put them in space, in hot sea vents, and freeze them - no matter what you do, they'll survive.


source


You see, Tardigrades can survive in:

Extreme cold (at -272 degrees Celsius for a couple of minutes, or at -200 degrees Celsius for days on end)

Extreme heat (being heated to 181 degrees Celsius for a couple of minutes)

Extreme radiation (easily surviving 5,700 grays of radiation. A gray is about as much radiation as 5,000 chest x-rays. 10-20 grays can easily kill a human and most animals.)

Extreme dehydration (A tardigrade can survive for a decade with no water)

In a vacuum - Yes, a water bear can survive in space!




These tiny organisms can be found everywhere - in fact, there are probably hundreds of these creatures just a few meters from where you are standing. They aren't as publicized as they should be, but these creatures are truly fascinating. It's amazing that these miniscule beings can survive for so long in the circumstances when others will certainly die out.


(images via)



So here's to Tardigrades, nature's greatest survivors!

They are also kinda cute...(on the left is the early Eutardigrade illustration by Andrew Pritchard):




...and they look great in art:


(images credit: Norwood Matt, Justin Paszul)


Article by Max Miroff and Avi Abrams, Dark Roasted Blend. Additional sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6


CONTINUE TO NEXT PART! ->

READ THE REST OF OUR "AMAZING NATURE" SERIES ->





RECENT ARTICLES:

Visual Caffeine #8
Visual Caffeine, Issue 8

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Visual Caffeine #7
Visual Caffeine, Issue 7

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Art Deco
Imperial Dreams: Art Deco Update

Wings, Gears, & Glamorous Ladies

1970s SciFi
DRB Pics-of-the-Day

Grand Space Adventure 1970s Art



"Dark Roasted Blend" - All Kinds of Weird and Wonderful Things, Discovered Daily!"

DRB is a top-ranked and respected source for the best in art, travel and fascinating technology, with a highly eclectic presentation. Our in-depth articles in many categories make DRB a valued online magazine, bringing you quality info and entertainment every time you visit the site - About DRB

Connect with us and become part of DRB on Facebook and Twitter.



YOUR COMMENTS::

20 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Water bears- the pinnacle of evolution... best adapted to multiple environments. Too bad they're not intelligent- or maybe they are? :o

___  
Blogger Unknown said...

Cool! If only we could enlarge one of these things to life size dimensions. sigh.

___  
Blogger Unknown said...

Maybe they're merely the protrusion into our dimension of vast hyperintelligent pan-dimensional beings. ;)

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ah yes but do they have any knowledge of self?

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is a great song about them available on iTunes (and other places) by Mal Webb

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who wants to live so long, being so ugly?..

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lovely article, but it's "minuscule," not "miniscule."

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

imagine if we grew one of those to human size... holy crap! it will destroy us all! these would be like indestructible. radiation, freezing, burning, we couldn't stop it! it would be the ultimate killing machine!

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"imagine if we grew one of those to human size... holy crap! it will destroy us all! these would be like indestructible. radiation, freezing, burning, we couldn't stop it! it would be the ultimate killing machine!"

Well, I'm sure if they got that big a spear would do nicely....

er...

You try the spear. If it doesn't work, I'll be back here with the rocket launcher!
:-D

___  
Blogger DJ said...

I think we should use their genetic material to cross-breed a new strain of humanoids. These things are awesome.

Oh, and to Anonymous: "miniscule" is an accepted alternative spelling of "minuscule"... look it up, if you don't believe me.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Why are you boiling me?! Why are you boiling me?! Owwww! This is so painful!

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sorry to disappoint all those that think growing a human size one of these would be great and indestructable... If you did manage by some mystery of science to create one any larger than they are now it would probably die, restrictions in cell size, body size and organ size due to water loss, diffusion and active uptake means that surface area to volume ratios must be kept in a certain range or the poor little thing would just die :-( but if you do manage to get a big one going... dont keep it a secret! lol!

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How interesting!

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Movies! http://tardigrades.bio.unc.edu/movies/

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Movies!

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

makes you think.. and believe the earth will go on even after we are extinct. i think they maybe ETs aka extra terrestrials. maybe we all decend from other worldly beings. would love to get a animal psychic in on this one.

___  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You're right when you say they aren't publicized. This is the first time I've heard of them. No mention even in high school biology.

___  
Blogger Somewhat Anonymous said...

Australian Musician Mal Webb has a throat-singing, beat-boxing, looped song called The Water Bear Song. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKamWp610ng)

___  
Anonymous Tom Peck said...

This is crazy!! Maybe they're an alien invasion!! The first picture looks like it's man-made, but the others are obviously not. ??

___  
Blogger Stickmaker said...


I, for one, welcome our new tardigrade masters! :-)

___  

Post a Comment

<< Home


SF ART & BOOK REVIEWS:
Don't miss: The Ultimate Guide to NEW SF&F Writers!
Fiction Reviews: Classic Cyberpunk: Extreme Fiction
Short Fiction Reviews: Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" (with pics)
New Fiction Reviews: The Surreal Office



READ OTHER RECENT ARTICLES:


Abandoned, Dieselpunk
DRB Pic-of-the-Day

Abandoned: Streamlined Three-wheeler

Visual Caffeine #6
Visual Caffeine, Issue 6

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Visual Caffeine #5
Visual Caffeine, Issue 5

A thrilling blend of art, myths and technology

Hellish Weather on Other Planets

Wild, Untamed, and Uncut

Medieval Suits of Armor

Metal Body Suits vs. Weapons of Medieval Destruction

World's Strangest Theme Parks

Amusement to the (twisted) extremes!

Enchanting Victorian Fairy Tale Art

"Then world behind and home ahead..."

Adorable Pedal Cars

Collectable Pedal Vehicles Showcase


Japanese Arcades: Gundam Pods & Other Guilty Pleasures

These machines have gone up to the next level


Modernist Tallinn Architecture

Delicious blend of old and new!


Early Supercomputers: A Visual Overview

"Computers in the future may weigh no more than 1.5 tons"


Futuristic Concept Cars of the 1970-80s

French, Italian & Japanese rare beauties


Epic 1970s French Space Comic Art

DRB Time-Slice: Valérian and Laureline


The Trees Are Escaping! The Abandoned Prison in French Guiana

"Great Escape" from the Devil's Island



FULL ARCHIVES
(with previews, fast loading):

2022/16
2015/14
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006

Link Lattes

Feel-Good & Biscotti Issues





CATEGORIES:
Feel-Good! | airplanes | animals | architecture | art | auto | boats | books | cool ads | famous | futurism | food
gadgets | health | japan | internet | link latte | military | music | nature | photo | russia | steampunk
sci-fi & fantasy | signs | space | technology | trains | travel | vintage | weird | abandoned