Earth Organisms That Can Survive Space

An exploration of earth organisms that have high radiation tolerance and can survive the rigors of the vacuum of space for a time opening up the possibility of panspermia.

Papers:

"The Resilience of Life to Astrophysical Events",Sloan et al, 2017

"Survival potential and photosynthetic activity of lichens under Mars-like conditions: a laboratory study." De Vera et al, 2010

"Radioresistance of Deinococcus radiodurans: Functions
Necessary To Survive Ionizing Radiation Are Also
Necessary To Survive Prolonged Desiccation" Mattimore and Battista, 1995

Music:

[dreammirrorbrony]

Every time I watch one of your videos, I get so interested that when it ends, I'm like "No, keep going! This is getting good"!

[EmperorDank]

Its so crazy how a lifeform can be so resistant.

[francoislacombe]

DNA can be damaged by things other than radiation, heat and chemicals for instance. An organism can evolve the ability to quickly repair DNA damage caused by these hazards, and it would automatically be able to repair damage caused by radiation as well, even though it was never exposed to that particular hazard.

[troruaz]

with that kinda gamma ray tolerance, can't believe they couldn't work in the latin-esque translation of "the hulk"

[LEDewey_MD]

Hello! I'm back-pedaling thru your earlier videos - so not sure if you even bother to read the comments... but I'll comment anyway! If anyone's interested, there's a great book that talks about these incredibly radiation resistant organisms by a leading researcher in abiogenesis and origins of life, Dr. Nick Lane, entitled, "Oxygen: the Molecule that Made the World". He's an engaging, provocative and even humorous writer (he's also won teaching awards). Even though this book was published in 2002, it's still very current with most of what we know about how Earth got it's oxygen-rich atmosphere. I hope he writes an updated edition! I think you would enjoy his work, with your interest in exobiology! 👍

[stefanr]

Yay conan the bacterium. Great video.
Any thoughts on how this effect the odds of evolving more complex organisms near red dwarfs? I keep seeing claims that the x-rays emissions would limit the possibility of life in the habitable zone. Does the resistance to radiation make the tardigrade less likely to mutate?

[gigopepo]

We all loved the new footage but damn... DUCK CLIP 4 EVER

[gregg]

John Michael Godier has an ASMR voice.

[regnarecaps]

Awesome channel! I saw a comment you placed on one of Isaac Arthur videos that led me to check you out. You now have a new subscriber. Keep the excellent videos coming.

[effdiffeyeno]

Yay! Found this in 24





2024. Just in case.

[Moontanman]

You left out the fungus that grows in the ruins of chernobyl where it photosynthesises using melanin and gamma rays, or x rays...

[DAVHORNER]

Fairly obvious observation, but if life starts very infrequently within a galaxy and is transported on comets/meteorites to so the seeds on many planets around many suns, then we should expect any traces of life on Mars or atmosphere of Venus, moons of Jupiter/Saturn to have a familiar double helix DNA structure (at least in our galaxy).

[Shyflyingsaucer]

Wait, if we can send something to mars and have it most likely survive, why don’t we?!

[davematherly]

never heard much from the organisms found on the ISS's solar panels.
the Russian guys said their cleaning rags all had some kind of algae-like stuff.
Was that discounted, or was there ever any follow up?

[tfsheahan]

If panspermia exists, why wouldn't a small portion of a biosphere still retain the traits that allowed it to make the transit in the first place? And as time went on, these remnant species would accumulate to some extant. If the universe is 13.7 (or whatever) billion years in age, how many of these transits should we expect to have occurred by now?

[Vontux]

That final microbe you mentioned, could it be an candidate for something that could have seeded life on Earth or is it still to complex to be among the first life? The presence of pre-cellular self replicating molecules like viroids seems to point toward life on Earth coming from something pre-cellular in my mind.

[orsonzedd]

what's the unit of radiation you're using? i keep hearing gray

[rameyzamora]

Ha! I gotcha some plants that will live on Mars: star thistle, burr clover and crab grass. No, not kidding. Give star thistle a try until you've gene modified cactus. Yup, cactus would take OVER Mars.

[trikkinikki]

what if its space organisms that can survive earth

[JettQuasar]

I love the background music - it reminds me of floating weightless through space ;-)