Comments on: Water bears survive open space

By: Lucifer

Lucifer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Despite denials from the justice department, this is definitive evidence of our administration engaging in waterbear torture.

By: Nelson.C

Nelson.C — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Has anyone sequenced tardigrade DNA and confirmed that they actually come from Earth? Perhaps they’re the answer to the Fermi paradox?

By: Ugly Canuck

Ugly Canuck — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

A mystery? Are they still allowed?

By: Duffong

Duffong — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Hell, if I was built like a stuffed teddy bear with a tough lining I’d probably survive space too.

By: Kieran O'Neill

Kieran O'Neill — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

#14, #21: I’m sure if you bugged these guys enough, they’d add it to their product line …

By: pauldrye

pauldrye — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Tardigrades have been partially sequenced and are related to arthropods and annelids, Nelson C.

Even without this, their physical arrangement and interior structure is profoundly earthly: ventral nervous system and no spiral holoblastic cleavage just like the majority of animals, hemocoel and hemolymph developing the usual way, HOX genes, and on and on.

By: philipacamaniac

philipacamaniac — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Shouldn’t “tiny eight-legged vertebrae” actually read “tiny eight-legged invertebrate”?

By: jireva

jireva — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I know it’s probably just a typo, but, water bears are certainly not “tiny eight-legged vertebrae”. They’re invertebrates.

By: midsentence

midsentence — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Everyone had one of these when I was a kid, the face would light up when you squeezed it.

By: hukes

hukes — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I think the first word in the third line should be “invertebrate”.

By: Lucifer

Lucifer — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

From my observation of the photograph, water bears seem more closely related to lowrider velour uphostery than to arthropods.

By: jimh

jimh — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

“It sure is cold in deep space, Yogi.”

By: Nelson.C

Nelson.C — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Paul @5: Undoubtably an accurate answer. I was hoping for something a little more playful, though.

By: trimeta

trimeta — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Tardigrades are basically unkillable. Seriously, we’re lucky they’re not omnivorous, because if they were they’d be goo-like in their global threat. (What would that be, bear-goo? Tardi-goo?)

By: ulmedas

ulmedas — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I want a giant plush one!!! They look SOOooo cuddly.

By: Jake0748

Jake0748 — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Really fascinating, it gives more credence to the Panspermia theory.

By: Jack Daniel

Jack Daniel — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Great. Manatee Zerglings.

By: sammich

sammich — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Trimeta@13 Tardigravy surely?

By: Beryllium

Beryllium — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That looks like a *really* comfy couch. Does it have massaging action, as well?

By: MarlboroTestMonkey7

MarlboroTestMonkey7 — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I want a spaceship covered with them to visit Mars.

By: David Pescovitz

David Pescovitz — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

@6, 7, 9: Yes, thank you.

By: mdh

mdh — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

#15, exactly.

There is one more data point to support the possibility of Panspermia.

By: trueblue2

trueblue2 — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

21: Ok, I’m not much of a stuffed animal fan, but that is adorable.

By: macegr

macegr — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Ulmedas @ 14: This exists. Probably not for sale, but still inspiring: Plush tardigrade

By: i_prefer_yeti

i_prefer_yeti — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I guess the cold vastness of open space isn’t as un-bear-able as once thought.

By: satman

satman — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

That’s no water bear, that’s a moss piglet.

Great website here:

http://www.q7.com/~vvv/tardigrade/

an excerpt:
“the tardigrade [sometimes called water bears or, to my unending delight, moss piglets] is a microscopic organism, of arthropode-like appearance, but so physiologically unusual it has a phylum all its own (tardigarda). lolling about in its warm, mushy home, the tardigrade is kind of the microbiological equivalent to a damp couch potato slacker. invisible to the naked eye and measuring a scant couple hundred microns across, our little friend still packs a wollop when needed. with an impenetrable exoskeleton and powerklaws of doom,this tiny fella is not to be messed with.”

I’ve been partial to these tiny critters since I received my first microscope for Xmas when I was 10.

Amoebas, paramecium and tardigrades, oh my.

By: anthony

anthony — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

Looks like someone chewed a piece of gum and it took off part of their braces.

By: Mojave

Mojave — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

wow…can’t believe it took until post #33 to welcome our new water bear, etc…..you’re slipping people. slipping!!

By: starcadia

starcadia — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

I’m no astrobiologist, but judging from the picture I think Dr. Phil might be able to survive in the vacuum and radiation of space as well.

By: starcadia

starcadia — Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000

@#39 JIMH: You said it, not me, but yeah, that would be scientifically hilarious.