# Sea Pankton Found On OUTSIDE Of International Space Station. Newslink **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 25, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507 "2014-08-25T22:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/1 "2014-08-25T22:47:11Z")
Well, I will be dipped in…sea plankton. > **[Sea plankton have been found on the International Space Station – but how did...](https://www.theguardian.com/science/2014/aug/21/sea-plankton-have-been-found-on-the-international-space-station-but-how-did-they-get-there)** > > Russian cosmonaut Vladimir Solovyev says the plankton were blown up into space by air currents on earth > [@](#): > > Itar-Tass says scientists on the space station, whose first component was launched into orbit in 1998, found the plankton – a source of food to many sea creatures – when taking samples from the windows (or “illuminators”). > > This, the agency writes, confirms “that some organisms can live on the surface of the International Space Station (ISS) for years amid factors of a space flight, such as zero gravity, temperature conditions and hard cosmic radiation. Several surveys proved that these organisms can even develop.” ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/2 "2014-08-26T05:13:15Z")
Oh great, just a matter of years before they evolve intelligence and invade. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/3 "2014-08-26T05:35:26Z")
Next thing you know, they’ll show up on the moon. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbershoot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbershoot/32/3428_2.png) [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/4 "2014-08-26T08:46:14Z")
My theory: dark matter is actually sea plankton. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/5 "2014-08-26T11:46:31Z")
I think I’ve seen this before. Next it will mutate, grow into giant vines all over the station, and then try to infiltrate the crew with pod-people replicas in the hopes of becoming established on Earth. We need to nuke that station in orbit. It’s the only way to make sure. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/6 "2014-08-26T11:47:10Z")
Being carried there in the air, I assume, makes sense. My question is why are they taking samples of outside of the windows? Just to see what’s collecting out there? ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/7 "2014-08-26T12:04:00Z")
Probably to see what space-schmutz actually consists of. ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/8 "2014-08-26T13:40:10Z")
Are they still analyzing this stuff? Who knows what else they’ll find… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/9 "2014-08-26T14:19:07Z")
Since the fall of the USSR, Tass sometimes reports strange things, like landing flying saucers. I guess it is that they can no longer shoot reporters for stories that the Party doesn’t like. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/10 "2014-08-26T14:34:20Z")
Pankton: Panko or Plankton? Either would be remarkable. Would you be dipped in Panko? Yummmmm. . . ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/11 "2014-08-26T14:56:46Z")
> [@Bumbershoot](#): > > My theory: dark matter is actually sea plankton. Does that mean that we could use whale shark poo as rocket fuel? ---
**Author:** ![Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Methyl_Ethyl_Death)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/12 "2014-08-26T15:52:15Z")
Someone call Mr. Crabs!! ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/13 "2014-08-26T16:28:52Z")
> [@Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](#): > > Someone call Mr. Crabs!! Alas, Bob Denver has left us… Maynard G. Crabs is no more. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/14 "2014-08-26T16:42:56Z")
I don’t see where the report says the plankton were alive. Later in the various articles I’ve found it does say that, but the initial report seems to be that they found sea plankton which were not typical of the launch site, and were probably blown there by wind currents. The statement that it’s proof some organisms could live on the surface of the station may refer to the plankton being good food sources for bacterial extremophiles. As far as I can tell, nobody on the scientific end of the conversation is suggesting that live sea plankton are in any way colonizing or thriving upon the surface of the space station. Just in case though, better lock up the formulerrrr! ---
**Author:** ![dougie\_monty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@dougie\_monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougie_monty)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/15 "2014-08-26T17:49:12Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > I don’t see where the report says the plankton were alive. Later in the various articles I’ve found it does say that, but the initial report seems to be that they found sea plankton which were not typical of the launch site, and were probably blown there by wind currents. > > The statement that it’s proof some organisms could live on the surface of the station may refer to the plankton being good food sources for bacterial extremophiles. As far as I can tell, nobody on the scientific end of the conversation is suggesting that live sea plankton are in any way colonizing or thriving upon the surface of the space station. > > Just in case though, better lock up the formulerrrr! Ah. Can’t forget Occam’s Razor. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/16 "2014-08-26T19:17:32Z")
…and I thought living in the suburbs was “getting away from it all”… ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sea-pankton-found-on-outside-of-international-space-station-newslink/696507/17 "2014-08-26T21:49:12Z")
> [@Methyl\_Ethyl\_Death](#): > > Someone call Mr. Crabs!! > [@dougie\_monty](#): > > Alas, Bob Denver has left us… Maynard G. Crabs is no more. :smack::smack::smack: