Eating, Hatching, and Crashing into the Moon: More About Tardigrades

This week, the microcosmos meet the cosmos as we explore even more fascinating things about our friend, the tardigrade. We'll discuss their weird weird mouths, how we take care of our tardigrades, and what's going to happen to those tardigrades that crashed into the moon.
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This video features the tracks "Rain II" and "Triad Flux" by Andrew Huang, which you can find for sale at www.andrewhuang...
Journey to the Microcosmos is a Complexly production.
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Sources:
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[@JamsGerms]

I just checked the eggs and they are still waiting there to hatch. ♥️

[@krabkit]

i was wondering about that, hopefully you can manage to catch it happening. maybe a bit optimistic, but it would be cool

[@maniestacio9245]

EEEE PLEASE POST AN UPDATE WHEN THEY DO! 🙏 🙏

[@juanmonsalvo95]

I would like to see the tardigrade babys! Let us know !

[@7eMiLi7]

please either post on here or your instagram when they do! Water bears are my absolute favorite animal and it would be amazing to see!

[@cb-wi1cq]

Omg please let us name them!!! Or the patreons maybe, but like. We have to name them. Okay. This is very important science somehow

[@hauntedmasc]

"... the only sign of life being the lack of decomposition." oh my god, me.

[@Z3roX-56k]

And God said: Let there be vegetables!

[@PinataOblongata]

You're definitely decomposing. It's called senescence and apoptosis.

[@Lyle-xc9pg]

The same cant be said about me, ive been decomposing for a while now

[@orchdork775]

😂

[@rainbowosprey1619]

Mood

[@theboar2431]

This is the only series of videos that I straight up drop everything to watch

[@knuckleburger]

Worth missing a flight

[@jakechuaweipeng]

Also Kurzgesagt.

[@theboar2431]

@Zero Cool my phone has a crack in it lol. Why you gotta be this way?

[@rillloudmother]

You work at blue cross, right?

[@theboar2431]

@@rillloudmother no?

[@colococolo]

This made me think: are we being watched by some higher specie? - Look at 'em... comfortable in their tiny planet...

[@villehammar7858]

I, for one, welcome our Lovecraftian overlords!

[@theblancmange1265]

White mice.

[@alveolate]

15th dimensional beings are using 14D slides to watch us through their tachyon microscopes.

[@AssistantCoreAQI]

We're Protecting You, Terrans. We Know You're Primitive And Small, But We Know You'll Evolve Some Day.

[@baranorak4080]

Perhaps these micro organisms are observing their own little ultra micro cosmoses with little microscopes

[@rotifer]

*You think Tardigrades are cute? You should've seen me when I was still emerging from my egg sac!*

[@MrBlack0950]

Your name mskes tjis perfect

[@TitansTracks]

You think that's cute, wait till you see the sac between my... Oh wait I can't tell that joke here! 🤣

[@Boogers32150]

Titans Tracks - Nah, this is the perfect place to make jokes about microscopic objects.

[@TitansTracks]

@@Boogers32150 Ahahaha walked right into that one! 🤣👍🏽

[@ARVash]

Classic rotifer move

[@SamAronow]

"We lost some tardigrades on the moon." I love our species.

[@jamescerone]

Sam Aronow really horrible actually, that’s a major extraterrestrial contamination event

[@assarstromblad3280]

@@jamescerone no it's probably not. They will die eventually because of the radiation and absence of liquid water. Also, humans are an even bigger contaminant, and we have already been there multiple times.

[@nerobernardino88]

@@assarstromblad3280 "They will die eventually" Let's sure hope so. Think about if the little buggers manage to evolve.

[@assarstromblad3280]

@@nerobernardino88 true, but the chances are low, however moon animals would be cool :p

[@nerobernardino88]

@@assarstromblad3280 Watch Terraformars bro

[@Cec9e13]

Mr. Green, I think you should know that when my seven-year-old daughter was asked who her favorite celebrity was, she said, "Hank Green!!!" She loves you in this and SciShow both, and is quite a fan.

[@MrCeall]

You do realize that we expect to see the birth of them tardigrades

[@thelegendarymage9454]

Ceal Losaria they said their still hatching

[@juniormynos9457]

"They don't even know we're here" Now you got me wondering who's watching us?!

[@nolikeygsomnipresence270]

Retardigrades

[@eljanrimsa5843]

The mice.

[@VoidHalo]

God

[@pillsburydoughboy1627]

Government

[@CheshireTomcat68]

Mrs Miggins at number 42

[@gc0video]

I'd like to hear about the nervous systems in the microcosmos.

[@min_nad]

Yessss

[@ldmtag]

Especially in single-cell organisms

[@keegan9935]

Hank: "The thing with biology is you're always on their schedule, not the other way around." me: *is watching this while doing an overnight in the lab tracking bacterial growth* CAN CONFIRM.

[@rotifer]

*Pharyngeal bulbs have nothing on wheel bearing mouth parts. Remember that, my fellow mortals.*

[@poppedweasel]

Wheel bearing mouth parts have nothing compared to my mighty masticating mandible.

[@evilsharkey8954]

Bacteria: “That’s not a living motor. THIS is a living motor!” *spin flagella

[@PrateekVarshney_PV]

We're sensing microjealousy here

[@buggyboy2849]

Someone's cranky after ditching good old sexual reproduction!

[@sportsfails4998]

Rotifers are underrated

[@BobMotster]

"They don't even know we're here" ... said the demiurge while watching humans scurry around.

[@Momentaryoratory]

Like for the use of demiurge

[@alveolate]

sasuga ainz sama

[@2Stripez]

This really makes me want to get a microscope

[@mikeward8079]

We're going to get an update video when the eggs hatch right?

[@dinodino5602]

+

[@brendakrieger7000]

I hope so

[@Ammetre]

Sorry, but that didn't happen. But yes, we did see other eggs hatching. So, yay!

[@CrackSmonka]

Eyes, symmetry, legs... It's way beyond amazing to think evolution has found the same pathways in the microcosmos that it has found in the macro. It teach us that life in other planets wouldn't necessarily be that much diferent than in ours.

[@birdy7451]

I don’t really have words for how much I love this series. Hooray for the Microcosmos!

[@NewMessage]

* in best Muppets announcer voice * Moss-Piiiiiigs innnnnnn Spaaaaaaaceeeeeeee!

[@nancynickerson4341]

The ISPT (International Society for the Protection of Tardigrades) thanks you for being careful with your cover slips.

[@alveolate]

wait, is that a real thing??

[@min_nad]

:o

[@LadyVagabond13]

please update us on the tardigrade eggs!! (tardigreggs?)

[@SamwellWK]

DnD Tartigregg Sci-fi Tartigregg Open source Tartigregg Japanese Culture Tartigregg Not one not two not three four Tartigreggs.

[@alveolate]

as a greg who is always tardy, i thank you for the new nickname.

[@TitansTracks]

"Sees a Microcosmos notification" *Doomfist Voice* JUST WHAT I NEEDED! 💎

[@spiercephotography]

Omg another Tardigrade video!! 😍😍 this makes me so happy

[@isabellaman9513]

All my favorite people in one place: Hank Green, Jam’s Germs, AND Andrew Huang???!!! I’ve never been happier :)

[@annaliseoconner9266]

This episode was so amazing. Thank you for your devotion to the unseen world, and for helping me see the world in a new way.

[@thelettre7954]

every week im so excited to watch this it is beyond amazing thank you

[@Momentaryoratory]

I have to lean toward tierzoo's opinion: tardigrades put all their evolution points into the wrong spec 🤣🤣

[@RoseIsAsleep]

Love tier zoo. My whole life is a game now :)

[@jackconway2014]

and THAT'S why i call them "retardigrades"

[@MrBlack0950]

Or the right spec

[@frenchguitarguy1091]

Admittedly tier zoo might be wrong considering they have survived all these years

[@blizzard2508-k7n]

@@frenchguitarguy1091 they're just "good enough" to survive to him probably. Also, quite a bit of tierzoo's opinions seem to stem from how easy or fun it is not play, not evolution.

[@earthborn8385]

Fantastic! I especially love the closeup camera work, feels, well, very personal with the little tardigrade. Wonderful narration as well. Very cool.

[@libbygallovitch5095]

I love the different style and peace these videos of art in the form of science convey, much appreciated!

[@TheRogueWolf]

And everything under the sun is in tune But the water bears live on the moooooooon....

[@teej008]

Hank’s asmr voice is really good. I almost went to sleep :)

[@mariegp5021]

Little bit of a confession here... I do listen to this to fall asleep. It's like being read a bed time story and I highly recommend it

[@cutliss]

If I could only keep one channel, it’s definitely this one. Thank you for the content!

[@boringneet]

The little water bears are legends of the microscopic realm.

[@SuLokify]

I like how the music in the introduction continues into the video itself. It's very cozy.

[@blueberrychocolate4238]

I always watch one of these videos before bed. They're super informative, calming, and entertaining. I also very much agree about smiling whenever seeing a tardigrade.

[@rainbo2987]

This video really made my day! I kept exclaiming, "WOW!" Thank you so much for bringing us all such wonder! ❤

[@CalderonFirearms]

I have been waiting for this video for so long! Thank you.

[@dajosh42069]

5:56 "... leaving one very obvious question.." Yeah.. it's; Q: What went wrong, and why did it crash??? The answer...; A: radiation from space caused the tardigrades to become sentient, at which point they proceeded to sabotage the craft systems so thatr they could land elsewhere on the moon and establish a colony. They're watching us. They're watching us right now. Just waiting for the perfect moment in which to launch their newly constructed battlefleet in an all out attack against the Earth itself!!! Luckily though.. the "Battlefleet" is made up of ships that are about one ½-Inch long, and ⅛-Inch wide.. so, it will likely only be a threat to aphids and mites and stuff... ;) Anyone seen the bit during the end credits of "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy"? Kinda like that.. :)

[@friedchickenUSA]

"almost the entirety of english wikipedia" almost? god i hope the page on CBT was included

[@limiv5272]

Why that in particular? And in any case, I doubt the data survived the crash

[@the1exnay]

That's an interesting piece of human knowledge to want sent to space. Why that in particular?

[@L.Mandrake]

I don't think he's talking about cognitive-behavioural therapy

[@the1exnay]

Lionel Mandrake Any idea what he might be meaning?

[@L.Mandrake]

​@@the1exnay kzbin.info/www/bejne/pICzeqhtnth3adU Don't blame me, you asked.

[@loishawkey]

🌬🧠🎋💪👀 ty for the ongoing classrooms hank....mucho thankful

[@jay-tbl]

Whats crazy is that since there are billions of tardigrades everywhere on Earth, and they're all rarely noticed, the few ones this channel shows footage of have been bestowed the greatest honor one could give to a Tardigrade, and they don't even know it.

[@DarkPhive]

Incredible as usual!! Thank you guys, I am deeply fascinated by this micro world.

[@homeworkbreak4237]

High Phive 🖐 Can’t leave you hanging

[@drandana3661]

This channel is really quite wonderful. I hope you guys are teachers

[@Clara-by3gn]

Where I live is night, and the best company to calm me down for a good sleep is these videos, is asrm-like

[@Zacharythealien]

I love these videos. Amazing pictures. Please keep doing these.

[@tutoring1013]

I could literally listen to hours on just tardigrades alone, though I love all of these!!

[@aseeker2269]

*SEES A NEW VIDEO* M. Bison voice: Yes! YES!!!!

[@marxtheenigma873]

They're neat. Once had this dream with these hamster sized tardigrades that can shapeshift into things the same size. They were a delicacy in this place so I rescued them by smuggling them out in a box with them shifted into baby chickens.

[@badergargum4944]

I enjoyed all your videos, excellent narration and filming the microcosmos. We want videos about bacterias and their classifications, thank you !

[@RebelScout1]

Dude, thx, so relaxing, just chill.

[@mushroomsamba82]

Absolutely fantastic microscopy, in all the episodes really, but this one especially.

[@BobStein]

Hope all tardigrade episodes are cliff-hangers like this.

[@skyfacer9626]

I love listening to this guys voice.

[@qManiekp]

Wonder how would they evolve if we specifically bred them for size.

[@lessynadel3221]

Wow lil tardigrades hatching? Can't wait

[@Zach-ud4mq]

This channel just outdoes itself, week after week! Keep it up guys

[@NATHANJK3]

Fantastic gracias from Costa Rica. It is fine to remeber they, the water bears are near close to Onicophora worms...! Great Job. Thank you.

[@braelenhead7506]

I Already Know this'll be good!

[@jimmyshrimbe9361]

Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!

[@jaquesaulait]

Best tg footage I've seen, nice.

[@erictaylor5462]

One small step for a tardigrade (which is a *REALLY* small step indeed) one giant leap for tardigrade kind.

[@theykilledjoel1496]

I LOVE this channel I wish I had money to give you guys

[@LEDewey_MD]

Simply magical and beautiful! 😍💞

[@albertmarti2718]

You guys are so lucky to find a gravid tardigrade! The most I have ever found are dormant lil bois.

[@scoopishere7881]

The tardigrade in the very first clip looks like it's modeling, like it's *trying* to look adorable.

[@travisapplebaum9523]

I love this series.

[@erintreez]

Anxiously awaiting baby tardigrades.....💚😁

[@rafanifischer3152]

I love tardigrades. Show more.

[@raghu45]

Fantastic! So these tardigrades are going to teach us humans how to survive and multiply in outer space! 😃 Way to go!

[@VeggiePun]

Man these videos always find a way to teach you something, and not just with actual teaching. I would have never guessed water bears hold there eggs like that. I figured they would do it kinda like fish. Find a safe space to drop the egg and leave them. Seeing it's butt bigger then the body is crazy!

[@Pareltje333]

My cats also likes to watch this... I have a feeling its very soothing to him in some way🐱😊

[@jacobwoodbury6073]

I like watching them squirm in ways that seem silly to me :)

[@steves388]

Water Bears! :D

[@browneyedbitch62]

I love your program I want and enjoy every one. Thank you for this book into the microcosom

[@dreamoftheendless7159]

The eggs creeped me out at first lol it shocked me but i cant wait to see baby tardigrades💕💚 Also 7:01 You are welcome

[@joearnold6881]

We need to send a tardigrade rescue mission!!! (That, or move them to the water ice in the polar craters, checking to make sure there isn’t something already there we’d be contaminating)

[@harrietlyall1991]

Maybe the tardigrade mother was meditating while waiting for her eggs to hatch. They seem enviably serene, humble, self-sufficient and in tune with the cosmos. We humans should learn to be more like them.

[@audreyplaysnice2086]

"They don't even know we're here." Could we be tardigrades to some colossal giant? I need a drop of water please.

[@JamesOKeefe-US]

I love this channel. It is Hank and Chill :)

[@learning.growing.1017]

Cuteness on another level... Micro level. 😊

[@13mjunky]

Thank you!!!

[@evilsharkey8954]

That ciliate vacuuming around the eggs in the dark field image is pretty interesting. You can see a lot going on, even at that scale.

[@lsswappedcessna]

They really are like tiny bears, with their two 'teeth' and ability to eat about anything and survive even against the odds.

[@jasonk5752]

Tardigrades look cute from our perspective, but I bet a human-sized tardigrade would be nightmare fuel. Especially with those mouth-piercers.

[@birchtree2274]

That tardigrades have symmetry, feet, eyes, etc. is no accident. Tardigrades are the tiniest of _animals_ : they are relatively close to us on the family tree (as opposed to plants and fungi and prokaryotes, etc.) That said I agree with you: given similar conditions evolution is likely to produce similar solutions. We may groan at the endless depictions of aliens as humanoids on TV and in films, but I think it's more likely than not that when we are finally in contact with aliens, that their body plan is symmetric, that they have eyes, that they locomotor by walking on two legs, that there is an organ of perception and thinking, and that most sensory organs are located next to the organ of consciousness, etc. We may even find someone we could fairly describe as "humanoid".

[@crazkurtz]

Love the Pigs in space reference

[@peety6333]

I just watched this for the 2nd time. I still love them.❤

[@ayasekaru]

The tardigrade mother not moving is, I think, the creepiest thing I've seen on here now. Everything always wiggles and squiggles and never stops moving. Even dead things are filled with life, in a sense, as they decompose. Total stillness though? ..man

[@theguywithevids]

Hey Hank, I love the Microcosmos videos! A note on pronunciation: "Beresheet" is pronounced a little closer to beh-RAY-sheet. Edit: Oof, I mixed up my vlogbrothers. On this very pizzamas. It's a travesty.

[@timdegraw1784]

Who is John? You mean Hank?

[@christiangasior4244]

Aww sheet.

[@xplinux22]

Not exactly. Hank said "BE-re-sheet" whereas the correct pronunciation is "be-re-SHEET." Most words in Hebrew have stress at the end of the word, sometimes in the beginning, but rarely ever in the middle.

[@CrossbredManiac]

Aliens be like, "Oh, I can't wait for my water bears: just add water!"

[@adkinsyum]

One of the things I love about biology. Its does its own thing, and it's not on our schedule like you said. Would take away the element of surprise! Like watching chickens hatch.

[@animationspace8550]

This channel amazes me even more than these little creatures do

[@psychachu]

I truly adore this channel. Seriously considering buying a microscope.

[@johnopalko5223]

Best reason ever to go back to the moon.

[@ShasCho]

I’ve looked for tardigrades in mosses and lichens growing on rocks, soil, trees, and in streams and ponds. I’ve found a lot of interesting creatures, but never a tardigrade. I’m obviously doing something wrong. How about a video showing your sampling and slide preparation techniques?

[@ChristopherTan001]

3:56 Stunning shot

[@CybershamanX]

(4:25) I wonder if the reason that the mother tardigrade is so still is in order to help ensure that every bit of energy/food possible goes toward the development of her brood.

[@brandonbohr.7301]

So amazing your channel.

[@58jharris]

Thousands of tardigrades lost on the moon. I think anyone who's seen Aliens knows where this is going.

[@CybershamanX]

(2:04) Hank can softly whisper words like "pharyngeal bulb" into my ear anytime he wants to. ;) Hank, have you ever thought of doing an ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) video? Even as a joke? Or, heck, even _not_ as a joke! Seriously, I think you would be pretty good at it. ;)

[@eljanrimsa5843]

I always want to watch all of their videos. But I only ever watch the tardigrade ones.

[@meghanparris8203]

We *need* an update when those lil eggs finally do hatch!