Scientists have always pondered if there is life in outer space.  Well, perhaps one such alien is sitting right in your backyard!  Find some moss, and there’s a good chance you’ll find an animal called a Tardigrade.  The reason why we don’t see them every day is because they are so small. In fact, they’re only a millimeter long and look like a tiny pudgy alien bear.  
Tardigrades, also known as water bears, are perhaps the hardiest of all creatures!  They can survive temperatures as low as 0ºC and and greater than 100ºC (that means in ice and boiling water).  By going into an anhydrobiotic state, which is their own form of hibernation, these “tiny bears” can survive without water or food for decades, and can even be exposed to the vacuum and radiation levels of outer space for 10 full days and still come back to life.   Truly remarkable, these micro-animals have become the poster child for astrobiology.  If you go to the Museum of Natural History in NYC this year, you’ll find a neat exhibit on extreme life, with Tardigrades taking center stage.  And here is an awesome and fun animation video from Industrial Motion Art.

I’m IzzyKat and remember to bikepenguin !