Water Bears Live in Space

Water Bears also known as Tardigrades are micro-organisms found in trees, moss, water and many other environments. They are classified as Extremophiles which means they thrive in physical or geochemical extreme conditions. Tardigrades can withstand heat over 120 degrees Celsius (240 F), freezing cold between 200-300 degrees below zero, x-rays, radiation, and they are the first animals to survive in space. Many scientists speculate that Tardigrades may be of extra-terrestrial origin transported to Earth by meteorite or asteroid. This is one of the reasons hypothesized why they can survive space travel.

Tardigrades were given the name water bears because they resemble bears with their round, caterpillar, bodies, tiny claws and multiple feet. Tardigrades have a nervous system, muscles, digestive system and brain, which makes them different than most insects. They’re covered in a dense exoskeleton which can harden and protect them when placed in an environment with little food or water. When this happens Tardigrades go into a state of cryptobiosis which is a form of suspended animation, where they can survive for over a hundred years.

To date science doesn’t know how Tardigrades evolve or what other species in the animal kingdom they’re related to. For more information watch the video below.

Animal Technology

As the 21st century grows more technologically advanced, science and medicine have found that some of the most complex problems have simple answers. Housing and energy are becoming big issues in most developing countries. Modern architects have turned to mother nature for their inspiration.

They have found that designing a building with a structure similar to a termite hill allows better ventilation and needs less electricity to power. Others found that the inner structure of a bee hive provided structural strength, conserves energy and requires less heat. These innovations are barely scratching the surface of what can be found from observing the animal kingdom.

Aside from architecture and engineering using animal designs for robotics has become incredibly popular. The robotic snake is considered one of the best technological achievements of the decade. It moves like a real reptile, is amphibious and can be remotely operated.

Most zoologist agree that if they had a robotic proxy animal in an environment the behavior of the animal being studied would be different. For example in marine biology when studying whales their behavior changes when humans are introduced into their environment. If they put a robotic fish with a camera in place of a person the whales behavior would be more natural and science could learn more about all aspects of their life.

The designers proposed that the robotic snake could be used for search and rescue as well as numerous stealth and surveillance operations. The military applications for this type of technology are enormous. Below I've placed videos of some amazing robotic animals that simulate the motion of their real-life counter-parts.