Mmastodon ScienceSpace first seen 7 h ago, last 7 h ago, peak #6

Tardigrades: the toughest animals on Earth

Original: Meet the toughest animal on Earth. Tardigrades — 'water bears' barely a millimeter long — can shut down their metabolism

Science communicators are highlighting tardigrades, microscopic 'water bears' barely a millimeter long, which can enter a dormant state that shuts down their metabolism. In this state they survive the vacuum of space, temperatures from near absolute zero to 150°C, and radiation doses hundreds of times lethal to humans, making them among the most resilient animals known.

Why now: Fascination with extremophile biology and tardigrades' seemingly indestructible survival abilities regularly goes viral in science communities.

tardigrades

Open on mastodon →

Evidence

• Meet the toughest animal on Earth. Tardigrades — 'water bears' barely a millimeter long — can shut down their metabolism and survive the vacuum of space, temperatures from near absolute zero to 150°C, and radiation doses that would kill a human hundreds of times over. Some have… · eatrics · 3

API: https://socialmediatrends-api.osmike.com/v1/trends/872230