Does anyone else find tardigrades mindblowing?
They can survive at temperatures ranging from -272°c to 150°c.
They can with withstand pressure six times greater than those of the deepest ocean trenches humans have found so far.
They can withstand hundreds of times of the amount of radiation than humans can handle.
They can survive within the vacuum of space (and have).
They can go up to 30 years without needing any form of food or water.
They have been around for millions of years, and seem to possess an absolutely unique life form, unlike any other we have upon Earth.
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They are pretty interesting. Had to look up a picture and they look creepy.
Surviving in space is mindblowing. The honey badger better watch its back.
They’re awesome! I’ve always been amazed that they can survive temperatures both lower and higher than any other living creature!
They’re really interesting.
I think they’re marvelous!
I didn’t even know they existed until they were introduced in Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s “Cosmos”.
He does a good job of presenting some of their remarkable characteristics.
I love ‘em. Some are living on a clump of moss I have in my office. The are neat to watch under the stereo microscope. You can see them with a magnifying glass.
I might have figured out their Achilles heel. I need to do some experimenting before I talk about it.
They are also adorable! Like a miniature cross between a naked mole rat, a walrus with bear claws, the snout of a pig and a tiny little Michelin man. Wouldn’t it be cool if they came in giant form, the size of a Rhino maybe? haha
I first found out about them 16 years ago from a friend’s wife that was a biologist !
@LuckyGuy . You’ve mentioned that before. How did you acquire them? Could they be dangerous?
I used to have lots of fish,but they all died when I moved from the country to the city. I tried for about a year,but no matter how good my water tested,any new fish died. I eventually gave up on having fish now. But maybe I can’t screw these guys up…
I know they’re very small, but I wouldn’t mind having a little tank with some of them. Just to observe now and then.
@MrGrimm888 Supposedly, moss is one of their favorite habitats. On warm day after a rain, I scraped a nice chunk of moss off a quiet corner of the asphalt parking lot near my office. I put it on a saucer and near a shaded west facing window and just kept it watered. After a week or so I started looking with a magnifying glass. I saw one. Then another.
Then I used the stereo microscope.
I suggest looking for a pretty piece of moss growing in the woods or some place that does not flood out. I’ll bet there are at least a couple in it.
If you are willing to pay $15 you can buy them from Fisher Scientific.
^Thanks. There are countless oaks with moss on them in my area. Maybe I’ll see if I can find some on the noss. I have a magnifying glass. Perhaps some careful looking will turn some up.
Bring a flashlight with you and light the moss from the side. They are easier to see that way.
They are up to 0.5 mm long and about half that wide.so imagine a slice off of a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil. Better yet, get a piece of 0.3mm pencil lead and break off the tiniest bit with a razor. That’s the size of the critters.
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