'Water bears' are first animal to survive space vacuum

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jrknothead
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09 Sep 2008, 7:29 pm

'Water bears' are first animal to survive space vacuum

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Tiny invertebrates called 'water bears' can survive in the vacuum of space, a European Space Agency experiment has shown. They are the first animals known to be able to survive the harsh combination of low pressure and intense radiation found in space.

Water bears, also known as tardigrades, are known for their virtual indestructibility on Earth. The creatures can survive intense pressures, huge doses of radiation, and years of being dried out.
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Venger
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09 Sep 2008, 7:43 pm

A human can survive for a very short time if they do the opposite of holding their breath.



Quatermass
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09 Sep 2008, 7:52 pm

Venger wrote:
A human can survive for a very short time if they do the opposite of holding their breath.


Yeah. If they hold their breath, they will probably get a major embolism in the lungs. Explosions only happen at higher pressure differentials, as the poor sods on the Byford Dolphin found out.


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twoshots
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09 Sep 2008, 10:08 pm

wikipedia wrote:
Tardigrades are able to survive in extreme environments that would kill almost any other animal. Some can survive temperatures close to absolute zero[4], temperatures as high as 151°C (303°F), 1,000 times more radiation than any other animal[5], nearly a decade without water, and can also survive in the vacuum of space.

Pure awesome.


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aspiartist
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09 Sep 2008, 10:12 pm

jrknothead wrote:
'Water bears' are first animal to survive space vacuum
Quote:
Tiny invertebrates called 'water bears' can survive in the vacuum of space, a European Space Agency experiment has shown. They are the first animals known to be able to survive the harsh combination of low pressure and intense radiation found in space.

Water bears, also known as tardigrades, are known for their virtual indestructibility on Earth. The creatures can survive intense pressures, huge doses of radiation, and years of being dried out.
(click link above for rest of article)


See...Life goes on no matter what!



Silver_Meteor
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10 Sep 2008, 12:01 am

jrknothead wrote:
'Water bears' are first animal to survive space vacuum
Quote:
Tiny invertebrates called 'water bears' can survive in the vacuum of space, a European Space Agency experiment has shown. They are the first animals known to be able to survive the harsh combination of low pressure and intense radiation found in space.

Water bears, also known as tardigrades, are known for their virtual indestructibility on Earth. The creatures can survive intense pressures, huge doses of radiation, and years of being dried out.
(click link above for rest of article)


What actually happens is that they will go into a state of suspended animation where their metabolism can drop to a bare trace of what it would normally be.


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