At this moment, somewhere in this universe… water bears rule the world.
Over 900 species inhabit elevations over of over 6,000 meters and depths 4,000 meters below sea level. Freeze them, boil them, expose them to radiation—after 200 years, they will still be alive. These microscopic animals, only 1 mm long, can tolerate such extreme temperatures and conditions that they can survive in the space vacuum. They can survive a decade without water, and continue to thrive even when exposed to nearly 5,700 grays of radiation (10-20 grays can easily kill a human). However, these creatures are not so extraterrestrial—in fact, they’re probably looming in your backyard right now, just meters from where you are sitting. And on Earth, water bears are virtually indestructible (while still managing to be kind of cute).
And even though this remarkable animal can be found just about anywhere, it remains largely unbeknownst to man; somehow avoiding our exploitation of nature. Why? Because such a microscopic creature is difficult to explain when it stretches our understanding and of the microscopic world and its natural limits.
Over 900 species inhabit elevations over of over 6,000 meters and depths 4,000 meters below sea level. Freeze them, boil them, expose them to radiation—after 200 years, they will still be alive. These microscopic animals, only 1 mm long, can tolerate such extreme temperatures and conditions that they can survive in the space vacuum. They can survive a decade without water, and continue to thrive even when exposed to nearly 5,700 grays of radiation (10-20 grays can easily kill a human). However, these creatures are not so extraterrestrial—in fact, they’re probably looming in your backyard right now, just meters from where you are sitting. And on Earth, water bears are virtually indestructible (while still managing to be kind of cute).
And even though this remarkable animal can be found just about anywhere, it remains largely unbeknownst to man; somehow avoiding our exploitation of nature. Why? Because such a microscopic creature is difficult to explain when it stretches our understanding and of the microscopic world and its natural limits.
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