# I, for one, welcome our tardigrade overlords. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 17, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208 "2009-02-17T01:08:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/1 "2009-02-17T01:08:51Z")
If there’s one multicellular organism that will survive the nuclear holocaust or the complete destruction of the ozone layer, it is the [tardigrade](http://xenophilius.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/tardigrade01.jpg), or water bear. They can curl up into a ball and survive being in a vacuum, -200\* C, and 1000x the radiation dose that would kill a person, among other things. [more info](http://serc.carleton.edu/microbelife/topics/tardigrade/) I, for one, bow down to our tardigrade overlords, who will probably be swimming around in pond scum long after humans have vanished from the earth. I’d also like to work in the lab that sits around all day thinking of ways to kill them. I think I’d try sodium hydroxide next – do you suppose they could survive in drain cleaner? Rather mundane and pointless, but that’s my zoology fact for the day. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/2 "2009-02-17T01:27:23Z")
Now how am I going to work this new word _casually_ into a conversation? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/3 "2009-02-17T03:38:29Z")
> [@horsetech](#): > > …I’d also like to work in the lab that sits around all day thinking of ways to kill them… No, **horsetech** , you want to be thinking up ways to make _friends_ with them, and put in a good word for the rest of us while you’re at it. ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/4 "2009-02-17T04:22:17Z")
Ah, OK, I spy on the scientists trying to off them and warn the critters ahead of time. I got it. Celyn, there has to be some sort of crude pun in the name tardigrade. I’m not sure that will help you, though. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/5 "2009-02-17T04:35:36Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Now how am I going to work this new word _casually_ into a conversation? 🙂 Depends, are you a teacher of Special Needs students? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/6 "2009-02-17T04:40:34Z")
> [@horsetech](#): > > Celyn, there has to be some sort of crude pun in the name tardigrade. I’m not sure that will help you, though. Something involving _Doctor Who_, perhaps? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/7 "2009-02-17T05:07:10Z")
Oh dear. I was either too lazy or reluctant to look stupid to post about the Tardis, but it WAS my first thought, I admit. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-for-one-welcome-our-tardigrade-overlords/486208/8 "2009-02-17T05:11:10Z")
> [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](#): > > No, **horsetech** , you want to be thinking up ways to make _friends_ with them, and put in a good word for the rest of us while you’re at it. Since it looks kinda like a larval cthulhu, I think I endorse that approach.