"Water Bears" are pretty extraordinary.

[techs]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_bear

Tardigrades are able to survive in extreme environments that would kill almost any other animal. Some can survive temperatures of −273 °C (−459 °F), close to absolute zero, temperatures as high as 151 °C (304 °F), 1,000 times more radiation than other animals, and almost a decade without water. In September 2007, tardigrades were taken into low Earth orbit on the FOTON-M3 mission and for 10 days were exposed to the vacuum of space. After they were returned to Earth, it was discovered that many of them survived and laid eggs that hatched normally

 

[dank69]

Not technically a repost, but also not so fresh.

 

[DesiPower]

another alien specie living on earth....

 

[GagHalfrunt]

When they grow and develop a taste for human flesh we are so screwed.

 

[Pheran]

Interesting. Those things are a pretty good argument for the "life on Earth being seeded from space" theory.

 

[Connoisseur]

Interesting. Those things are a pretty good argument for the "life on Earth being seeded from space" theory.

Why? Their ability to survive in space may just be a happy side effect of their adaptations for earth's climates. Also doesn't mean that we're descended from these extremophiles.

 

[CZroe]

I expect them to find them living in Lake Vostok despite it being sealed away from the rest of the world for ages underneath Antarctica.

 

[spidey07]

When they grow and develop a taste for human flesh we are so screwed.

I, for one, welcome our cuddly bear overlords.

 

[Pheran]

Why? Their ability to survive in space may just be a happy side effect of their adaptations for earth's climates. Also doesn't mean that we're descended from these extremophiles.

I didn't imply we are descended from them, I'm just saying that they demonstrate the ability for life to survive in space, which is one of the things that must be true for the "life coming from space" idea to work.

 

[Perknose]

I expect them to find them living in Lake Vostok despite it being sealed away from the rest of the world for ages underneath Antarctica.

I listen to their pirate radio station. The music's a bit simple, but good.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

I listen to their pirate radio station. The music's a bit simple, but good.

I think you've played a wee bit much GTA IV.

ein zwei drei, shiggy shiggy schweine!
ein zwei drei, shiggy shiggy schweine!
ein zwei drei, shiggy shiggy schweine!

 

[DrPizza]

Interesting. Those things are a pretty good argument for the "life on Earth being seeded from space" theory.

It's very plausible that life existed on Mars before Earth and life was transferred from Mars to Earth via an impact on Mars' surface & ejection of some rocks. The opposite is far less likely (that Earth seeded Mars) because Earth's gravity well is much greater.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

It's very plausible that life existed on Mars before Earth and life was transferred from Mars to Earth via an impact on Mars' surface & ejection of some rocks. The opposite is far less likely (that Earth seeded Mars) because Earth's gravity well is much greater.

Or anywhere really.

When scientists took organic molecules found in space, and which are presumed to be abundant in the universe, and smashed them into a dish of sand at the highest velocity we can manage, they discoved that rather than those molecules breaking down, as would be expected from such high energy impacts, they formed even more complex organic molecules. The conclusion drawn is that the stuff of life (carbon hydrogen oxygen) seems to like to get toghether and sponaneously make more complex stuff. Most researchers in the field think we will find simple life is the norm for any place which can sustain it, and that there are more places than we previously thought where this is the case.