World's Hardiest Animal Can Survive In Space
Briefly.
Seen here in OMGWTFBBQ vision under a scanning electron micrograph, a water-bear creeps me the f*** out. Go die with your alien-lookin' ass! And speaking of aliens -- water bears can survive in space. Like, that's how tough they are. Me? I once broke a bottle over my head and only passed out briefly.
In 2007, a little known creature called a tardigrade [AKA water bear] became the first animal to survive exposure to space.
It prevailed over sub-zero temperatures, unrelenting solar winds and an oxygen-deprived space vacuum.On Monday, this microscopic cosmonaut has once again hitched a ride into space on the Nasa shuttle Endeavour.
One of these experiments, the Tardkiss experiment, will expose colonies of tardigrade to different levels of ionising radiation, determined using an instrument called a dosimeter, at different points during the spaceflight mission.
The TARDKISS study may help researchers such as Professor Guidetti develop techniques to protect other organisms, including humans, from the extreme stresses found under space conditions.
First of all, who the hell named the experiment TARDKISS? Did NASA leave it up to a 4th grade vote? Secondly, I can't wait till these little creeps escape and start running amok all over the galaxy. You think Mass Effect 3 is gonna be about fighting the Collectors? Think again, it's gonna be about fighting tardigrades me banging every alien I can get my hands on.
Tardigrades: Water bears in space [bbcnews]
Thanks to Staticwolf -- half canine, half crackly radio sound.
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