Humans, chimpanzees and dogs can live in a space environment for but a few minutes before the air in their lungs expands, gas bubbles out of their blood and the saliva in their mouths begin to boil. But more fundamental organisms such as bacteria and lichen can tolerate the absence of pressure and searing cold. And now researchers have found that animals known as tardigrades, or water bears, can, too.
These microscopic animals—ranging in size from 0.06-inch (1.5-millimeter) adults to 0.002-inch (0.05-millimeter) larvae—are found in lichens or mosses, in soil, on mountaintops and in the sediment on the ocean floor at depths of 13,000 feet (4,000 meters). Given that their mossy homes can be prone to desiccation, some species of tardigrades can survive as long as a decade without moisture.
They also have an uncanny ability to resist damage that the sun's ultraviolet rays cause to humans and most other more complex animals.
(read at scientific american)
The simpler the organism the more durable it is. Societies, too.
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