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Video: Tardigrades Are the Toughest Animal on Earth That Can Survive Space and Volcanos
“Tardigrades, also known as water bears or moss piglets, are the toughest and probably the weirdest animal species on Earth. Tardigrades are eight-legged micro-animals that can withstand just about anything, from mass extinctions to the vacuum of outer space, to the pressure of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point on Earth, and radiation 1,000 times…
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Video: Meet the Tarigrade The Toughest Animal on Earth
“Without water, a human can only survive for about 100 hours. But there’s a creature so resilient that it can go without it for decades. This 1-millimeter animal can survive both the hottest and coldest environments on earth, and can even withstand high levels of radiation. Thomas Boothby introduces us to the tardigrade, one of…
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Video: Life On Other Planets- Crash Course Kids #45.1
“Have you ever wondered if there is anyone (or anything) else out there in the universe? Well, you’re not alone. But what would alien life look like? And what would their food chains and food webs look like? In this episode of Crash Course Kids, Sabrina gives us some ideas about what we might find…
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Video: Is There Life On Other Planets?
Could there be life on other planets? Did life come to Earth from space? Have we already found evidence that aliens exist?
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Video: Icarus Initiative: Wildlife Observation from Space
“Martin Wikelski and his team at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology are investigating the global migration of animals – initially focusing on small animals such as birds, bats and flying foxes. Tiny transmitters weighing less than five grams, attached to the animals, collect information about their migratory behaviour and transmit it to the ISS.…
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Video: How We’ll Find Life On Other Planets
Astronomer Aomawa Shields searches for clues that life might exist elsewhere in the universe by examining the atmospheres of distant exoplanets. When she isn’t exploring the heavens, the classically trained actor (and TED Fellow) looks for ways to engage young women in the sciences using theater, writing and visual art. “Maybe one day they’ll join…
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Resource: DNA Building Blocks Can Be Made In Space
“NASA-funded researchers have evidence that some building blocks of DNA, the molecule that carries the genetic instructions for life, found in meteorites were likely created in space. The research gives support to the theory that a “kit” of ready-made parts created in space and delivered to Earth by meteorite and comet impacts assisted the origin…
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PDF: Biodiversity from Space
Mapping and quantifying biodiversity is key to effective conservation planning, yet gathering the necessary data can be costly and time-consuming. Conservationists and land managers therefore place a premium on methods, such as remote sensing, that yield tolerable estimates of biodiversity in the absence of exhaustive ground surveys. Bawa et al. have tested a method of estimating…
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Article: NASA Fosters Innovative Ways to Understand Biodiversity
“To study and monitor changes in Earth’s biodiversity, or the immense volume of organisms in the world, scientists and citizen scientists record their sightings in the field. At the same time, sensors on the ground and on board satellites and aircraft monitor flora and fauna on a regional to global scale. NASA has funded four…
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Article: Is Mars’ Soil Too Dry to Sustain Life?
“Life as we know it needs water to thrive. Even so, we see life persist in the driest environments on Earth. But how dry is too dry? At what point is an environment too extreme for even microorganisms, the smallest and often most resilient of lifeforms, to survive? These questions are important to scientists searching for life…
