These little guys have been found in Antarctica, in the deep ocean, on top of the Himalayas and in hot springs, and are able to withstand 1000 times more radiation than other animals. They can even survive trips through the vacuum of space. Thus, the humble tardigrade has caught the attention of researchers studying everything from space travel to longevity enhancement and DNA repair. First described in 1773 by Johann August Ephraim Goeze as “kleiner Wasserbär,” these “little Waterbears” are unusually hardy. By entering a state of cryptobiosis – a kind of super-hibernation where the metabolism becomes inactive – waterbears can survive in boiling water, and at temperatures very close to absolute zero. They can dry out and survive 99% dehydrated for decades. They can survive a thousand times more radiation than humans can. They can even survive in the vacuum of outer space! FACTS: One of the more fascinating organisms in the microsphere is the common tardigrade – technically speaking, “slow walker.” However, it is not the tardigrade’s sluggish speed that captures the attention, but rather the fact that as this miniscule creature lumbers along on its eight tiny legs, it bears an uncanny resemblance to, well, a bear.