TARDIGRADES with Paul Bartels

Alie Ward· Host0:00

Oh, hey, it's the sunglasses that you sat on, but you still wear crooked. Ally Ward. Well, look at you, you're listening to Smologies. If you've never been here, these are shorter, G-rated, kid-friendly episodes of Ologies. We've made them just for you so that there are no swears, and they are quicker to listen to. This one dives deep into the tiny world of a seemingly indestructible critter that is forever fascinating. I hope you enjoy it. Don't be tardy to this party because it's a good one. Let's get into it with a warning that this episode is an instant classic. I'm warning you, you're gonna listen to it more than once 'cause it's so good and it's perfect. Prepare. So what is a tardigrade? You're about to find out more about these water-bear, moss, piglet, tiny creatures with extreme survival abilities via the loving eyes of an expert tardigradologist who also identifies as a biophilist. Simply loves nature, loves critters, and is up to their eyes in wonder. Their bio literally says, "To me, every life form, no matter how gruesome, think tapeworms, flukes, and the corpse flower of Borneo, is beautiful and awe-inspiring." Oh, you're gonna love them. They have discovered many new species of tardigrade and is one of the foremost tardigradologists on Earth. Just PS, tardigradology, it's very much a field, it's an actual term, and you should know that tardigrade means slow stepper. Just a tardiggrader. They're tiny, they are rotund, and they saunter in no hurry. Here we go into the episode. Saunter into a microscopic