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True Facts: The Incredible Tardigrade
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- Published on Feb 3, 2021 veröffentlicht
- True Facts Poster! ze-true-store.myshopify.com/
Patreon: www.patreon.com/truefacts
Sign up for Curiosity Stream: curiositystream.com/zefrank
CREDITS:
This video was made in collaboration with Benedikt Pleyer, who is a gifted microscopist and has a wonderful contagious passion for discovering the incredible worlds that exist all around us. He has introduced me to all sorts of new creatures and I am fortunate to have met him.
nomadic_nostoc
Kita Williams reached out to me almost a year ago with her amazing Tardigrade footage, and I am so happy that she did. She has a knack for capturing these animals in way that gives them so much personality!
SeaSpongeCake
Bob Goldstein runs a lab at UNC Chapel Hill and has done incredible work on the Tardigrade (and much more.) He was kind enough to review my work to make sure I didn't screw the science up too much! I wish I could have included more of his work on the evolution of Tardigrades - but I hope to do that in a future episode on arthropods.
goldsteinlab.weebly.com/
Thank you to the following for publishing their images
under the CC license, it is a huge contribution to
science communication.
Water bear (tardigrade), Hypsibius dujardini,
scanning electron micrograph by
Bob Goldstein and Vicky Madden.
Scanning electron micrograph of active hydrated
Echiniscoides sigismundi by Thomas L. Sørensen-Hygum,
Robyn M. Stuart, Aslak Jørgensen & Nadja Møbjerg.
New Echiniscidae (Heterotardigrada) from Amber
Mountain (Northern Madagascar) by Gąsiorek P, Vončina K (2019)
Thank you to all of my Patreon patrons for the
patience, support and feedback
MUSIC:
soundcloud.com/querflote
“BackBay Lounge” by
Kevin MacLeod
incompetech.com/music/royalty...
Additional footage used under
license from:
Pond5.com
Shutterstock.com 
Pets & Animals
Happy to be sponsored by Curiosity Stream. They have great content at a great price. Check them out and sign up at curiositystream.com/zefrank :)
Yeeehah! You are awesome!
Hello :)
Hello 😁
All of your videos are awesome
Yee
we don’t know when he’ll appear but he never disappoints
JUST LIKE WALDO
He only posts when he needs money
@Theo Dious where’s frank
It's the only notification I get that I need to stop everything for lol
Its like a very eloquent and funny meteor shower
Hello there
I am Sørensen-Hygum, coauthor of one of the papers you cite. I just want to say that I am very happy and impressed with your video. It is a really great feeling to see my research become part of an educational youtube video. I am really proud of that scanning electron micrograph of Echiniscoides sigismundi and seeing it reproduced makes me happy.
I like that you are able to make research, both mine and other’s, more accessible by applying humor and more everyday language than we can get away with in research papers.
In particular it made me extremely happy to see you thank us for publishing under a CC license as doing so was a decision that I had to push a little bit for and one that cost my supervisor a lot of money.
I do want to raise a few points. You state that tardigrades can dry out for decades and this is almost certainly true, but it is also somewhat misleading. It is true in that a few tardigrades may well recover after such extended periods but there is currently no solid proof of it. Note also that when I say a few tardigrades, I really do mean a few, dont expect to put 100 dry tardigrades into storage for 30 years and get 100 live ones out, you will be lucky to have 1 live animal after such a long time. However 1 live animal is enough to found a new population if the species is parthenogentic!
I would also like to add that the paper of mine you cited actually demonstrates that drying on a glass surface is extremely toxic to Echiniscoides sigismundi(a heterotardigrade) likely because of fundamental interaction that applies to other tardigrades too. I have done some experiments demonstrating that the same is true for Richtersius coronifer(a eutardigrade), though the results have never been published.
Lastly I am very happy to see that you quoted Gąsiorek and Vončina. They are both extremely talented and very nice and it is great to see them get some recognition.
Sorry for posting this in so many posts, but youtube would not allow me to post them all in one.
@thomas hygum do you suspect the glass alters the chemical/protein preparations the tardigrade makes, or do you think it might be altering the behavior(movement, evaporation) of the water to make it dry out faster than the tardigrade can adapt?
I would think the depressurization in space would cause far more rapid evaporation of the water, and I dont know of many organic friendly chemicals that interact with glass, but off the top of my head those are the possibilities that spring to mind.
I'm a biologist and this: "Intrinsically Disordered Proteins don't have a defined shape and are Floppy Floppy like cooked spaghetti. These seem to act almost like Styrofoam packing noodles, holding organelles in place and making sure things don't stick together as the cell shrinks" --what a genius explanation
I'm a microbiology student and I wish I was tutored by someone like him. That could have been hilarious.
I had a science teacher like him in middle-school. I wish all teachers approached topics like this because it's fun and makes it easier to remember these things.
"don't have a defined shape"
Prion diseases: *visible concern*
They say that the sign of true genius is taking a complex process and explaining it in a way that anyone can understand.
It’s such an apt description!
As a design student, putting a scale bar that just says "small" is aspirational. You do you, Jerry. You know how to save time, Jerry.
"Small" bar must be labeled "not to scale"
That’s how the Jerry do
@KodÄk what if he'd put "very small"? Would that fix it? 😜
I just watched like 10 of these videos about tardigrades and none of them explained a damn thing about how they do what they do, this video answered every single question I had while also being hilarious. Thank you for this. I'm officially a huge fan. Keep up the good work!
"Science isn't a style of photography, Jerry"
Hubble Space Telescope: _stands up and leaves_
Tardigrade poop crystals has joined the chat.
*blue planet disagrees with that statement*
🥰
😆
YTisleftwingpropaganda Really Are you referring to 'science' and 'photography' or 'standing up' and 'leaving'?
Jerry deserves a raise for all the effort he put into making those models.
Jerry's snafu's are entertainment in their own right! right Jerr'!
Artsy!
"No Jerry, we can't sell it as merch, it has staples in it" 😂🤣
I died at the "small" scale hahaha
yeah, but I kinda like the underdog, Dave.
"Moss Piglet", The cutest and most docile sounding animal name ever.
They are unusually cute for bugs.
@Deanholder De Chances are if you have ever been in the forest or a pond you have had intimate contact with them. They are adorable for "Bugs".
In middle school, my class went into the mountains for a field trip. We took samples of water from streams to look at the microorganisms there. I was one of two people who actually got to see a Water Bear.
And, yes, I saw it poop as well.
Mine wasn’t as magical of an experience.
I am your 100th like. Greetings from the future.
“It looks like a galaxy.”
Wait,,,
Is our whole universe *a water bear’s poop???*
Yes.
Beats the elephants on a turtle
My mind just exploded. Who is going to pay for the damage? You?
Logarithmic spiral
You could make a religion out of this!
The fascinating but decidedly weird thing about these creatures is that at some point the species encountered conditions where temperatures were that low and radiation levels were that high, that they had to adapt to them.
@Wild Side of Things scientists did a study to test whether tardigrades could survive space travel at the required speeds and re-entry. The answer was no, the little guys got turned into dust
One key question. If tardigrades (are they always a little - late??) have such survival skills, how is their population level managed?
Can they be successfully eaten/destroyed?
@Robbie Rotten That isn't necessarily the case. It could be that the adaptations they developed to counter less cold temperatures and lower radiation levels are just so effective that they can stand up to much more extreme conditions as well. Just because a species is capable of withstanding something doesn't NECESSARILY mean it evolved with that extreme level of stress as an evolutionary filter.
I for one Jerry, greatly enjoyed your DIY Tardigrades. Very well done.
Jerry is getting more creative. We should encourage him, unlike David.
I like jerry and his antics
He must have had his crotch-unicorn replaced recently. How else could he be so creative suddenly?
Who is David?
This was *WAY* more educational than most of his other videos. Like I was genuinely feeling like I was watching a real documentary, lol
i used to be obsessed w true facts in high school-- crazy how all these years later the series continues and is just as funny! nothing will ever beat the sea pig in my heart tho
true facts about ducks is my favorite
I love the "gummigrade" that Jerry prepared. The juicer for the mouth and the visible scotch tape is so extra!😂
No wonder water bears are so durable. They have the infinity stones inside them!
Glad to hear Jerry's on the job. One of the most alien-looking critters I've ever seen. These videos are like gold; this one is no exception!
Pretty much anything at the microscopic level is extremly alien looking^^
Poor Jerry, all he's trying to do is expand his artistic repertoire by creating those delightfully weird looking models.
"No we can't sell that as merch Jerry" ... aw darn, I would have happily paid for Jerry's delectable work of art, who else is with me?
I would be all in on some of Jerry’s merch. They’re adorable
That is how Jerry do
@justanotherchannelonyoutube indeed, that's how he do do. hopefully he continues to make more models in future episodes.
I want a jerry face reveal
Well, yes, but my kids have honored me with plenty of Play Doh statues.
As a child I saw a tartigrade in a magazine they horrified me, now I find that they still terrify me
I love how I actually learn things from you. Octonauts taught me waterbears existed, you literally taught me cellular analysis on them. I love you.
all joking aside, i had no idea these little critters are that adorable and awesome
"Science isn't a style of photography, Jerry!" I love your little quips. 😂
I was laughing and learning at the same time. Fascinating and hilarious content as always.
I had a phobia of these for some reason growing up and this was a very nice way to get positive exposure thank you 🥺
"Science isn't a style of photography, Jerry."
That's a genuinely fantastic quote. Much like this entire episode.
Truth.
Another. “It’s like masturbation with consequences”
Tears. Just tears with laughter.
Hubble Space Telescope has left this party.
I loved the not-even-mentioned "J" in that photo
Did anyone notice how zefrank’s voice has gotten more light pitched over the years for “true facts”?
I love “Jerry”’s attempts at model tardigrades! 🥰
You never disappoint Zefrank! Another epic educational video to ensnare my senses!
That was the most amazing footage of tardigrades I’ve ever seen! Awesome commentary too as usual.
I love your explanation of animals, insects or fish or lots of other things. I actually learn alot. Your very inspirational,
I like how “getting very dead” is a technical term for an animal losing 97% of its water
Love the viewer comments and I am so glad you keep showing back up Ze.... your videos are so funny and endearing! I especially titter like crazy when you pronounce the word "bbabies" the way you do! I also was glad to see you use your patreon account in such a productive way. Plotting world domination is extremely important and I look forward to seeing you move forward with that goal. I am sure the world will be a much better place dominated by you so good luck with that!! ♥
I would sincerely pay to watch documentaries about anything with you as the voice over. You would be a great teacher.
Well produced, well explained, and the humor, OMG! I love this channel!
you can tell, Jerry is trying his best.
The tardigrade lives up to my mom's wise words "just drink water and you'll be fine"
Can we appreciate that this man started in the early days or Clip-Share: before ads, professional Clip-Share's, when Clip-Share was basically America's funniest home videos, left for years, return in a time when Clip-Share was basically a television network, did the exact same thing as before, and was successful.
Dear Kitten....
@Jann Weitman quite a while before that, even
I hadn't realized that. That's really cool.
True quality never dies, it merely enters cryptobiosis and waits for the moment to strike.
Thats how the Zafrank do
I love these little fellas, I’m so glad you’re still making these.
I remember my dad showing the chameleon one to me when it came out and it’s how I discovered your channel.
Wish he was here so I could send him these videos again
Jerry really cracked me up in this one. brilliant job guys. I find these so informative (with a bit of fun thrown in)
your videos are amazing. Educational and hilarious and it doesn't delve too deep into the technical side of how everything happens which makes it much more retainable and much more entertaining. Keep it up zefrank1 you're amazing!!
This is the most hilarious series of nature videos I have EVER seen! Never stop!
Please do more true facts with microfauna! I love it and i love learning about them!
I love that zefrank is collaborating with real scientists to make these now
Got to make it accurate while being funny so people learn something
Other 'way 'round: Scientists are collaborating with zefrank!
He has been for a while? I swear he collaborated with that Dr tongue guy for the lizard video
@Heretic Waffle you’re correct! His leafhopper one was also a tribute to a scientist that had recently died.
I WISH I COULD FAVE THIS MORE THAN ONCE!!?!? I have loved waterbears since I was in high school and have plushies of them, but I've never seen such great footage of them before! Thank you so much for covering these awesome lil beans!!!
"What was your earliest memory?" Bahahaha!
This show is hilarious and "Jerry" is a treasure
Some call it junk, but I call it treasure
I just stumbled upon the True Facts collection the other day while looking for more more more nature docs, which I have been huffing like the hummingbird do with sugar. I'm thrilled that you have made so many of them, that you use flora and fauna that are recognizable, as well as the whhaaa bugs, cellular huhs, and animals soon to be extinct. You crack me so completely up. and there ain't much to laugh about these days. I'm gonna join the Curiosity Stream, which sounds right up --or down--my alley, but mostly I am doing it to make sure you keep working. Jerry too. Oh to be a copulating exotic fly on the wall of your rehearsals! Mille grazie
I just love the way you narrate your videos. It's funny to watch and not boring like typical doco's where they sound like zoned out zombies.
I’m studying entomology in college right now, and honestly it’s crazy how many structures in the tardigrade are the same/similar to ones in insects
Convergent evolution be wildin
@Grimble I was curious, so I looked up how closely related tardigrades and arthropods(phylum that includes insects, crustaceans, spiders, scorpions, etc). It turns out that it’s most likely that tardigrades are an ancient form related to the ancestor to arthropods!
(Info from Wikipedia)
Zefrank should be awarded an oscar or something... This guy is a living legend.
This is SO incredible! I LOVE these little water bears/moss pigs 😍
Even the smallest creatures are made interesting thanks to Ze Franklin. Thank you for this!
You have such a soothing and consistent voice. What sort of vocal exercises do you do before recording a video? Any tips on how to maintain a consistent vocal tone throughout an entire recording? I really look to your videos as references when practicing my voice-over voice, but I'm still too nervous to start a vocal portfolio.
I also love the amount of research you put into these True Facts videos. Thank you for educating and entertaining us all!
I love this. It's such a treat whenever ZeFrank posts anything ;)
Thank you for the new tardigrade video. Feel free to feature these little guys often. They're always entertaining.
"For most creatures the technical term for this would be 'getting very dead'".
Pure gold.
That part cracked me up the most out of the whole video. 🤣
I've been fascinated by these creatures for over a decade! The amount of information we can learn from a species that can survive radiation, dehydration, extremes of temperature, and the void of space, is limitless. They needed more public exposure to pique the interest of young aspiring scientists/biologists, and this video may finally do just that!
I love Tardigrades! I think they are so amazing. Thanks for teaching me more about them. I've loved and shared your videos since I first discovered your Sad Cat Diary. Your voice and manner of speaking are the best 😁
I freakin love these! Just stumbled across one by accident and subscribed straight up! Wish our science classes were like this when I was at school. I might have actually learnt something
You are the best Ze 😂 I've been in a depressed funk lately but this video perked me up a bit. Thank you for knowing what's funny. 😂😁
I'm currently in Biochem, and having this man as a prof would make things so much easier 😆
"For most creatures the technical term for this [being completely dried out] would be getting very dead"
I lost it.
Lost what
@Ryan Rigley It, can you not read?
Lost what
@Khan DMO You’ve never heard the term “I lost it”?😳 It means they burst out laughing...
@Barabel22 it’s not funny though
I can honestly cannot get enough of these videos. I laugh so hard everytime and just deeply appreciate the original content and the smiles the whole thing gives me!
Thank you zefrank!
Oh wow...I am almost at a loss for words, laughing and in pure enjoyment of the so far 3:47 I've watched. @Zefrank1, the music, production, the everything, your voice....THANK YOU INFINITELY is all
Highly informative and hilarious. You keep doing you cause your really doing us.
A favor 😉
My son got me hooked on this channel. Never a dull moment. I'm always laughing while learning, which is (IMO) the BEST way to learn. 😅
Zefrank's voice is always music to my ears, even with the wit and scientific knowledge 😍
To be a fan of Zefrank, one must be like a Tardigrade.....able to wait long periods with nothing and able to spring back to life when something comes. I've waited SO long for this episode....both for the tardigrades and Ze Frank!
I was rolling on the floor laughing while learning a lot about tardigrades.
Pardon my ignorance. Are you the one doing the voiceover? If so, I love what you said and how you said it. You've embarked on explaining a subject that can be dull, but your way of doing it was riveting and riotous. I enjoyed every second of it. Good job!
YAAAAY! You finally did a video on my favorite animal! I watched this while holding my giant plush tardigrade and eating pizza. It made up for my crappy day at work.
You need to grow up, imagine hugging a plush as an adult with a job.
@Kreptic LOL! Nah, gonna keep doing what I want. What some stranger thinks should define me as an adult is no concern of mine. Doubly so when that person only knows a few out-of-context facts about me.
Much love! Take care! ❤
@Gelbadaya H. Sneach Coating your comment in positiveness still doesn't change the fact that you hug children toys as an adult, which you should stop before it fires back at you.
@Gelbadaya H. Sneach But who am I kidding, I should've known people with furry pics are never intelligent to follow simple instructions and words.
Loved the narration. Haven't laughed so hard in a while. Glad I did learn quite a bit about these little creatures. I had heard about them but didn't know their name.
If I’d had Zefrank for biology in college my life might’ve been completely different.
Absolutely wonderful video.
Have you thought about doing a video on canids or possibly about migratory salmon?
I would imagine both subjects would prove to be both extremely educational and would have a lot of comedy value.
When David Attenborough finally retires, ZeFrank1 should be immediately introduced as his replacement for all nature documentaries, except he is allowed to script it as well.. None of the BS he had to deal with while working for Buzzfeed.
agreed! begin the petition!
Yes
I had no idea about his buzzfeed dealings
Zefrank was on Buzzfeed??
But...he's an actually funny content creator, not a pretentious politically woke ass, or "which x are you" quizz maker?
Now I've seen everything.
I want ZeGrank to narrate a documentary about David Attenborough.
Zefrank, I love you man. I swear I'm constantly checking to see if you have new uploads. You entertain me more than 99% of the other things I see on TV or the internet. Oh, tell Jerry I believed his Tardigrade was real.
Mate - you are bloody funny and very educational too. A real pleasure to watch and learn from. Thanks.
Bebbies indeed!
Just brilliant. I have not laughed so hard in a while, and learned a lot too. Thank you.
Thank you so much for finally clarifying what those water balloon things inside are!
If we could all poop like that, I could only imagine what early Instagram would of been filled of
I think the candy-bag “tardigrade” is one of the cutest things I’ve seen in a bit.
Aside from perhaps tardigrades’ little lizard fingers and toes.
That " candy" one is a "cutie patootie". And speaking of tardigrade patooties.....well, maybe I better not. It would definitely get weird.
Yup, it's nearly as cute as a Tardigrade poop... But better tasting... Probably....Ive never tried one
I am so happy you were in my recommendations! I love the calm and humorous commentary you give alongside the classic elegant music. Subbed :)
Man, I always get so excited when you upload something! Your humor and new facts literally get me through my day sometimes. This is also great ASMR stuff on low volume; helps me sleep quite well. Can't wait until your next upload! I know it takes quite a lot of effort to make each one so I will be as patient as humanly possible lol. Thanks for doing what you do, man. It means more than you know.
To this day, I'm still waiting for someone to make s little compilation video of all the moments Jerry decided to be silly.
Discovered this channel today and not only learned a shitload of new useless facts, but also feel considerably less depressed than before. Thank you.
Can you imagine if tardigrades evolved to be the size of like... Like even a mouse? They'd honestly be very formidable
This is really funny but this is also the best documentary on tardigrades I've seen. The upclose footage of them eating with their needle-like mouthparts is amazing, as well as the footage of them failing to run on glass 😂
Hello Frank,
I hope you read this. I just learned about the existence of the (more or less spooky) "Potoo", or "common potoo" (Nyctibius), and I would love to learn about it. By you :)
Wonderful content and spectacular microscopic photography. Thank you for posting.
I LOVE the true facts series...humour and science
I lost it when Jerry made space using poops. That's genius.
What did you lose exactly?
What an informative and CUTE video! I love the little water bears!
We need:
True Facts: Humans
True Facts: Zefrank
True Facts: Jerry
I think he already did the Humans one, well not as a documentary video tho
Someone did a true facts on zefrank years ago. Now I have to check if it's still around.
I don't think we should know too much about jerry
I feel like that can't end well
Jerry Plz
Yes.
For some, the fantasy of eating glitter and shining a laser pointer into the toilet just got too very real.
Fact that these things are related to Opabinia from the Cambrian makes so much sense given how bloody weird both are
This is Journey to the Microcosmos - except hilariously fun.
Thank you, Mr Z Frank!
I saw the title and just thought "Tardigrade don't care." It's become a reflex to seeing/hearing the word. So glad to have Ze videos sprinkled in here and there during this unending lockdown.
Love these videos! Wish I could show them in my high school zoology classes; some of the phrases would get me in trouble.
Zefrank has taught me more than any biology class ever has
Truth!
I can't tell you how happy you make me. I am so glad that you are back! Thank you for bringing joy, laughter and learning to a pretty empty time. Peace brother.
I have a hard time believing aliens don't exist after seeing this.
I thought Jerry did a great job in those models! 👍