Tardigrades: Adorable Extremophiles

Hank explains why NASA and the European Space Agency are in love with tardigrades and how these extremophiles are helping us study the panspermia hypothesis.

Follow SciShow on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/scishow
Like SciShow on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/scishow

Credits:
Produced by Hank Green
Chief Editor: Blake de Pastino
Cinematography: Nick Jenkins
Video Editor: Matt Ferguson
Graphics: Amber Bushnell
Written by: Hank Green

TAGS: tardigrade, water bear, moss piglet, extremophile, inhospitable, environment, revive, dormant, dormancy, absolute zero, radiation, pressure, vacuum, outer space, space, NASA, european space agency, space shuttle, endeavor, TARDIS, panspermia, meteorite, science, scientists, scishow, hank green, dose

• Category

  Science & Technology

[0cassus]

Please use Kelvin or Celcius next time you're mentioning tempatures.

[Tristram Gardner]

I'd give an A+ for this video, but it really deserves a Tardi-grade*. Good job!

[TheGoldenRiolu]

Why should he? You can just do the conversion on your calculator.

[bIackangeIs99]

'murica

[SuperNoemata]

Go for the Kelvin

[Ben Reynolds]

How did I get here?

[SappSP]

So, can they live without oxygen or....what?

[HappyIsFleeting]

In retrospect, I could have worded that better.

[fluorine -indium-nitrogen]

and the moss would obviously survive being exploded, launched into space for many thousands of years, and then landing, wouldn't it. that's not to say I agree with monochromi, as there is the possibility of multiple tardigrades on one rock, reaching a planet tht has no life but has water and organic molecules, the tardigrades could evolve to get their energy from said molecules and then kick start life, leading eventually to a food source other than organic molecules.

[logan brown]

that's sad, we have been trying to get to a different planet for a long time, yet it probably takes a tardigrade about 10- 15 days to get to a different planet. :(

[Xankari Luka]

But can they survive a Nokia?

[toobles3]

2:15 LOL "They brought the tardigrades back and they were like "Whats up?"'