Whilst in Devon..

By TonyL

And now for something completely different..!

Milnesium Tardigradum

Tardigrades are tiny eight-legged animals, on the order of 0.1 centimeter in length, of the phylum Tardigrada—they have been given the name "water bear" due to their appearance. Tardigrades have made the news in recent years due to their hardiness. They were the first known animal to survive the rigors of outer space; they are able to go without water for up to 10 years; they can survive extreme pressures and temperatures (including boiling water) and levels of UV radiation that are lethal to most other animals. To achieve these feats, the tiny creatures curl up into a ball and enter a sleep-like state. In this new effort, the researchers wanted to know if they could also survive high-speed impacts.
The researchers found that the tardigrades shot from a gun at speeds up to 825 meters per second could be resuscitated after removal from the cylinder in which they were fired.

What an exciting life they lead!
What on earth do they eat for breakfast?

And don't forget this little fella is only 1mm long!

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