26 Comments

Moss Piglets in Spaaaaaace!

Would have totally worked on the Muppet Show.

Expand full comment

I still can't get over "moss piglets."

Expand full comment

Haha my best friends nickname for me is water bear, named after the tardigrades. She tells me I can survive anything. Very cool read Andrew!

Expand full comment

Awesome nickname!

Although, "moss piglet" is always there on the back burner, just in case.

Expand full comment

Moss piglet is a good one as well. Maybe I can make it stick in the gym 🤪

Expand full comment

These tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins (TDPs) create a protective shield around vital cellular components, a mechanism that scientists are exploring for potential breakthroughs in preserving biological tissues and improving the stability of pharmaceuticals.

SOON AVAILABLE in easy to take tablet form. 30 tablets only $99.89. But act fast.

Expand full comment

I'm gonna go ahead and let a few million other people try this one first.

(but really, it is a matter of time before someone figures out how to make something like this work)

Expand full comment

So, I want to know what they DO. What’s their function in the world. What do they eat? Do they have any enemies? Any social structure within say, a moss colony? 🤔

Expand full comment

Louise, that sounds like a pretty good idea for a follow up article! I know they love wet places and moss, and they are generally very solitary, unlike ants, but I don't know much beyond that.

Expand full comment

And how on earth did humans discover the tiny critters?

I have moss out back, and tomorrow I will go out and greet them - the many thousands- with a hearty “Ohayou gozaimasu.” Do they speak a certain dialect of their own language? Do they communicate in any way?

Expand full comment

I found 1773 for the date, which is...well, kind of incredible. I think I heard about them like 15 years ago! Where were these guys all my life?

Expand full comment

Let's see... Microscopes came into existence around 1600. By 1773, they probably became sophisticated enough to enable viewers to see the tiny piglets, the dear little things. There is so much of the microscopic world to explore. Keep going, Andrew!!!

Expand full comment

Thanks, Louise! I really appreciate your curiosity and enthusiasm. That stuff is gold.

Expand full comment

Great, now I am planning to run away with a colony of moss piglets and go into a state of tun until we get our shit together!

Expand full comment

Yikes, you might be there for a long time.

Expand full comment

It's a one way trip

Expand full comment

I note that "tun" and "fun" happen to rhyme. Coincidence?

Expand full comment

haha

Expand full comment

Now I know! I actually had heard of tardigrades from a fun science podcast the girls listen to but I don’t recall the use of water bears in it. Seems like a missed opportunity for kids.

Expand full comment

Dude, I'm still on the floor over "moss piglets."

Expand full comment

I want to shrink down to their size and give a water bear a hug.

Expand full comment

Just watch out for their claws! Maybe wait until they're Hansolo'd.

Expand full comment

Been a fan of tardigrades before, and now I'm an even bigger one. Quite a lot of stuff I didn't know about them, but by far the most momentous discovery for me is the "moss piglets" nickname. That's just amazing.

Expand full comment

That's certainly my "fact of the day." Adorable!

Expand full comment

Have you seen Cricket on TikTok?

lilacmess82

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Sep 18
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Yes, but only just barely!

Expand full comment