It’s not the cockroach, but tardigrades, also known as water bears and moss piglets. These tiny creatures can withstand radiation, extreme temperatures and pressures greater than found in the deepest ocean trenches. They can survive without water or food for up to 10 years, and even have lived through the vacuum of Outer Space. Alex Dainis of Bite Sci-zed explains why she has a crush on the lowly tardigrade.
ARVE error: need id and provider
Microscopic tardigrades, or “water bears,” are the only animals that can withstand the extreme temperatures and conditions found in the vacuum of outer space. This raises the question: Did they evolve on Earth or migrate here from elsewhere in the universe? H/T Vice
ARVE error: need id and provider
Hank Green, the host of the SciShow, calls tardigrades “the toughest animal on the planet,” and explains why NASA and the European Space Agency have fallen in love with these extremophiles.
ARVE error: need id and provider
