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Tardigrades are really fascinating creatures, although only 0.1 to 1 mm (4), scientists have been able to identify more than one thousand species of these little critters (1). Not only that but tardigrades are also currently most well known for their eccentric ability to withstand extreme environments (5). Common sense seems to dictate that organisms such as tardigrades who live easy lives wandering on moss and sucking water should be relatively vulnerable, so "why evolve to survive the kind of cold that only scientists can create in a lab, and pressures that have never even existed on our planet?" (1). Tardigrades have demonstrated that they are able to withstand temperatures as low as minus 200 degrees Celsius and temperatures as high as 151 degrees Celsius (2). But that's not all! Tardigrades are most well known for being able to survive the extremest of environments, space. Where pounded by radiations, lack of atmosphere and pressure, tardigrades have survived where no other multi cellular organism has been able to (3). Although tardigrades may seem of concern to only a small group of scientists and science nerd like me, but it should in fact concern anyone who cares about the possibility of longevity. Although tardigrades only have a life span of about 6 months, in their dried out state, they can hibernate for hundreds of years, then be revived without a hitch. Scientists have observed that there is a sugar called "trehalose" that is responsible for allowing tardigrades to replace the water in their bodies without as much harm done (1). Imagine if we could do that to preserve human bodies, the possibilities are endless! Sources (1)[] (2)[] (3)[] (4)[] (5)[]