To introduce her children to the hidden marvels of the animal kingdom a few years ago, Anne De Cian stepped into her garden in Paris. De Cian, a molecular biologist, gathered bits of moss, then came back inside to soak them in water and place them under a microscope. Her children gazed into the eyepiece at strange, eight-legged creatures clambering over the moss.
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Tardigrades are near-microscopic animals that can survive some of the most extreme conditions on Earth, including freezing temperatures, crushing pressures, and even the vacuum of space.