LukeNov 2, 2022
Sheril Kirshenbaum

After a couple of days on #Mastodon I’m very impressed & excited to be part of this growing community! #mastodonmigration

My only humble suggestion is that it needs more tardigrades aka "water bears."

Tardigrades have survived every mass #extinction on Earth since they evolved about a 1/2 billion years ago. There are ~1,300 known species. And millions of years from now, they won’t even notice we’re gone. #SharedPlanet

Nov 1, 2022 at 10:46pmMastodon for iOS
Show threadMike McHargueNov 1, 2022
@Sheril I didn't know I was missing some water bear content until I saw it. Thank you!
Show threadPaulaNov 1, 2022

@Sheril Here's a song by Muuan Mies about tardigrades and how they'll survive despite everything that's going on! (Lyrics unfortunately in Finnish, though.)

https://youtu.be/jXf9AhcU3Gk

MUUAN MIES - KARHUKAISET

YouTube
Show threadKevryanpersonNov 1, 2022

@Sheril tardigrades were part of some of my earliest research (light research tbh) when coming up with a story idea that is really close to my heart

Also hello 👋

Show threadC. Chase BoltNov 2, 2022
@Sheril that is amazing. I also find it amazing that the same mechanism that produced tardigrades, produced an intelligence that can know about the existence of tardigrades.
Show threadPedroNov 4, 2022
@cchaseb @Sheril How else could we worship our overlords?!
Show threadGert V 🇵🇸Nov 2, 2022
@Sheril They wouldn't survive COP27 though.
Show threadJeff HaluskaNov 2, 2022
@Sheril I am surprised more people don't have Tardigrades as micro pets. Ever see them "walk" through an environment? Nothing that small should be that cute!
Show threadKelly NewcomerNov 2, 2022
@Sheril indeed! Here is a tardigrade I created a while back as a linoleum print. And now it’s a digitally printed greeting card.
Also on my Etsy #MastoArt #Tardigrade https://www.etsy.com/listing/243600196/tardigrade-waterbear-blank-greeting-card
Tardigrade Waterbear Blank Greeting Card Waterbear Card - Etsy

This Blank Greeting Cards item by kellynewcomer has 28 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from Minneapolis, MN. Listed on Aug 20, 2022

Show threadehem. dystopod 🔥🏚️🗿☮️🌍❤️🌱Nov 2, 2022
@Sheril you mean "decades to centuries" 😅
Show threadMark McClellandNov 2, 2022
@Sheril They might not notice we're gone, but I hope they say "thanks for the lift" as we cart them around the solar system and beyond. :)
Show threadDMKNov 3, 2022
@Sheril Agreed. I made a LARP inspired by a real life space accident involving Tardigrades.
Show thread𝗔rtilect𝗭edNov 3, 2022

@Sheril

MORE TARDIGRADES! I've been using them as prompts in AI art generators. It usually produces fun results. Not usually scientifically accurate, though.

Another tardigrade song. by Cosmo Sheldrake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCkSr0ugTIM

Cosmo Sheldrake - Tardigrade Song

YouTube
Show threadXana 🇸🇪 #OficialidáNov 3, 2022
@Sheril aquí veo una oportunidad de avatar para @frankie
Show threadanubis2814Nov 3, 2022
@Sheril Tardigrades have a similar body shape to a mastodon so I agree.
Show threadKris Mitka  Nov 3, 2022
@Sheril here’s a musical one. Handy when my kids complain about chores, heh.
Show threadBlort™ 🐀Ⓥ🥋☣️Nov 3, 2022

@Sheril I second the motion for more tardigrades.

Tardigrades for all! 🎉

Show threadabcxyzNov 3, 2022
@Sheril what a chad creature honestly
Show threadSteven ZekowskiNov 3, 2022

@Sheril at the risk of sounding low-brow in such erudite company…

I immediately thought of #StarTrekDiscovery

If you don’t get the reference, I’m happy to explain.

Show threadVicNov 3, 2022
@Sheril They're probably already here if we look hard enough :)
Show threadAdam IerymenkoNov 3, 2022
@Sheril If we want to try to make sure life survives we should put a railgun in orbit and fire tardigrades toward other star systems with habitable planets for as long as our civilization lasts.
Show threadhusku (vain tilaajille)Nov 3, 2022

@Sheril

I am in this picture and I like it.

Show threadDavid FieldNov 3, 2022
@Sheril
I'm all for more Tardigrades
Show threadSteve SawczynNov 3, 2022
@bdunnette I'm also very impressed to be part of this growing community, nice to see so much positive. Also, I had no idea about #Tardigrades, so already learning new and interesting things. :)
Show threadRoman SohrmannNov 3, 2022
@Sheril ich will so ein Haustier 🤩
Show threadScientific FrontlineNov 3, 2022
@Sheril
Water Bears
https://www.sflorg.com/2022/10/chm10042202.html
How the secrets of the ‘water bear’ could improve lifesaving drugs like insulin

How do organisms like the tardigrade do it

Show threadBrianNov 3, 2022
@Sheril Do paintings of #tardigrades count? (Mixed-media, by Amy Ashbaugh.) #collection
Show threadGustavo 🎮🔭🇵🇷Nov 3, 2022
@Sheril can anyone ELI5 why they are so sturdy?
Show threadVerdiculousNov 4, 2022
@Sheril I only hope they’ll be around to not notice our absence. Humans can be very enterprising in their devastation of other cohabitants of our pale blue dot.
Show threadDhavanNov 4, 2022
@Sheril fascinating beings!
Show threadBreatheNov 4, 2022
@Sheril love the picture of tardigrade. I am a Microscopist by profession and hobby. The beauty seen in a microscope can be breathtaking.
Show threadBrett NelsonNov 4, 2022
@Sheril Thank you for highlighting Tardigrades, among the most overlooked and underrated animals on the planet. I'm a big fan of theirs. They remind me how interesting, tiny/vast and unknown our planet is to most of us.
Show threadDawn Tåke 🏳️‍⚧️Nov 4, 2022

@Sheril
Been playing Death Stranding and they have critters that look like giant tardigrades. So about 4cm long. Cryptobiotes and you eat them to replenish blood.

Nowhere bear the weirdest thing in the game. :p

Show threadIain FarrellNov 4, 2022
@Sheril amazing little creatures. Am I right that they’re practically indestructible as well?
Show threadAlex JenkinsNov 11, 2022
@Iainfarrell @Sheril That was my sense, half-remembered, too - that they can survive practically everything. Except heartbreak.
Show threadplanetscapeNov 4, 2022
@Sheril You go, little guys. 😍
Show threadEric BeckmanNov 5, 2022
@Sheril thank you for showing me this!
Kleiner Wasserbär is an excellent name
Show threadokanogen VerminEnemyFromWithinNov 5, 2022
@Sheril That's both sad and comforting.
Show threadPhenom Nov 6, 2022
@Sheril and I'm certain that if any do notice we're gone, it's because they're also happy we're not shooting their kin out of firearms to verify survivability.
Show threadBrad WattsNov 7, 2022
@Sheril Wow, water bears! Love it, thanks for sharing.
Show threadThatchNov 11, 2022
@Sheril hell yeah tardigrade! Those things are awesome. How long until they look like crabs?
Show threadGrasshopper40Nov 11, 2022
@Sheril I agree! More #tardigrades!
Show threadMartin, Regulus TithoniumNov 11, 2022
@Sheril _Everything_ needs more tardigrades.
Show threadMadGoat - VE3RIM  Nov 11, 2022
@Sheril he’s cute, looks like he wants a belly rub. 🥺
Show threadSteven HodgesNov 11, 2022
@Sheril they're quite the cute little bears aren't they?
Show threadAlex Z | WriterNov 11, 2022
@Sheril
Water bear!
Water where?
Everywhere!
(Even on the moon, now that one of our probes carrying these critters crashed there...)
Show threadDuncan Idaho 11Nov 11, 2022
@Sheril Doing my best! (with Star Trek fan art)
Show threadTony Corsentino Nov 11, 2022
@Sheril Early Modern Tardigrades
Show threadTMJAuthorNov 11, 2022
@Sheril We just need fire bears, earth bears, and wind bears to complete the set.
Show threadJcmacomberNov 11, 2022
@Sheril
Sure we have to have moss piglets here.
Show threadfrandroid 🏴‍☠️ jin jiyan azadîNov 11, 2022
@Sheril micro mastodons, of sorts
Show threadMelvin S. MarshNov 11, 2022
@Sheril Hey @albinokid does Ripper have a Mastodon yet? Apparently we need more #tardigrades
Show threadMelvin S. MarshNov 11, 2022
@Sheril @albinokid Silly me it looks like Anthony was the one who brought mini Ripper into my feed, LOL!
Show threadRyder 🔭🚲 Nov 11, 2022
@Sheril @planet4589 recently bought our almost 1 year old a stuffed tardigrade for crib playtime at the end of the night!
Show threadAmanda Finley Digs All ThingsNov 11, 2022
@Sheril agree! It sure does!
Show threadRui BorgesNov 11, 2022
@Sheril and then one more species just saying hi there.
https://phys.org/news/2022-11-abilities-tardigrades-species-finland.html
New information on the abilities of tardigrades: Researchers also find a new species in Finland

Tardigrades are tiny (0.5–1 mm) eight-legged animals famous for being among the toughest organisms on the planet. However, we still know very little about their behavior and ecology, particularly in Finnish ecosystems. Researchers from the Department of Biological and Environmental Science at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, have recently described a new species and reported a new incredible survival skill in another one of these mighty creatures.

Phys.org
Show threadKevin Troy Darling Nov 11, 2022
@Sheril following for more tardigrades.
Show threadHolly JohnyNov 11, 2022
@Sheril it was just about time for someone to make a post like this. Thank you.
Show threadP. S. NissimNov 11, 2022
@Sheril @blaftness has been looking forward to Tardigrades and their pals to show up on Mastodon!