Tardigrades. Are they an interstellar species? Or do they just happen to be awesome?

just as an introduction... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tardigrade

and pictures:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...tardigrade.jpg


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...rtierchen5.jpg


(for the mods: i triple-checked and donated: the wikimedia foundation does permit hotlinks. these hotlinks are just fine.)

what do you think? are they relatively immortal? are they aliens? are they worthy of being an internet meme? do you agree with tardigrade fan culture?

Tardigrades featured by VICE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W194GQ6fHI

Tardigrades featured by SciShow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H0E77TdYnY

I think they came from another planet. Specifically, Uranus. :)

Uranus is the host of many uncouth critters, such as E. coli and is also the birthplace of Mr. Hanky from South Park. And now tardigrades? Yuck! :rofl::rofl::rofl:


It has too many legs; doesn't slither. No, not worthy of any fan club. :P

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Originally Posted by sho220

I think they came from another planet. Specifically, Uranus. :)

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hey, dont make fun of tardigrades, they will outlive you with their relative immortality :)

EDIT: how likely is it that this track is in fact about tardigrades? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_7rmSwqwIc

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Originally Posted by Pythonfriend

hey, dont make fun of tardigrades, they will outlive you with their relative immortality :)

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Kind of funny to think I probably have a bunch of them in my house as I type this. My son has a bunch of moss in a lizard cage...maybe I'll hydrate up some water bears when I get home. :D

I think if you call them water bears instead of tardigrades, they will be twice as likely to have a fan club.

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Originally Posted by Krynn

I think if you call them water bears instead of tardigrades, they will be twice as likely to have a fan club.

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Not unless you know Doctor Who. The TARDIS is a spaceship that travels through both space and time. It can go everywhere, and arrive everywhere, almost instantly.

as in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrFpjh4KF4U (by the way, she suffers a terrible and awkward fate long before this episode, where they "first" meet, ever aired. such is the nature of unlimited spacetime travel, awkward).

so, bascally, if Doctor Who would be real, the tardigrades might be a consequence to the dirt sticking at the bottom of the TARDIS.