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Meet the tardigrade, the toughest animal on Earth - Thomas Boothby

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TEDEd Animation

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Without water, a human can only survive for about 100 hours. But there’s a creature so resilient that it can go without it for decades. This 1-millimeter animal can survive both the hottest and coldest environments on earth, and can even withstand high levels of radiation. Thomas Boothby introduces us to the tardigrade, one of the toughest creatures on Earth.

Tardigrades survive several different kinds of extreme environments. Do you think they use the same protective strategies for all of these?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Thomas Boothby
  • Director Rémi Cans
  • Script Editor Emma Bryce
  • Sound Designer Erwann Chandon
  • Composer Erwann Chandon
  • Associate Producer Jessica Ruby
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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