00:00 Humans could live in a vacuum, with the only difference being, well, our entire selves.
00:06 We're always talking about living on other planets and how we can adapt to them, but
00:11 theoretically we could live on a space station.
00:14 However, in that case, life would evolve completely differently.
00:18 All because we'd have to live without an atmosphere.
00:24 What do we humans need to adapt to living in a vacuum?
00:28 Dugald Dixon created this cool concept in his book, creatures known as vacuum morphs,
00:34 designed to survive in space.
00:36 They're kinda like humans, but not really.
00:40 First, in space, with no air at all, it's all about pressure.
00:45 There's a thing called atmospheric pressure.
00:47 In simple words, how much does the atmosphere press on our shoulders?
00:52 How heavy it weighs.
00:54 Humans are used to living at sea level where there's a lot of pressure from the air around
00:58 us, but in space, there's none.
01:02 This would be tough for our bodies.
01:04 Astronauts have their suits to handle such dramatic change.
01:08 Which means, most likely we'd have to get a hard shell guarding our insides, like robots,
01:13 beetles, or certain marine animals that can handle different levels of depth.
01:18 Having a shell of some kind also helps to control the movement of atoms both coming
01:23 in and leaving the body.
01:26 These unique beings from Dixon's book, homokaleistes, have crustacean-like features.
01:33 You can see that they have this shield we discussed.
01:35 They're built to withstand the challenges of orbit and the vacuum.
01:39 They breathe with three lungs, have stubby limbs for grabbing onto spaceships, and sealed
01:45 eyes to shield them from harsh conditions.
01:48 These little guys also need unique organs to handle oxygen and waste.
01:52 Unfortunately, they can't reproduce.
01:55 Despite their incredible adaptability, vacuum morphs are sterile and have a limited lifespan.
02:04 We know from movies that outer space is extremely scary.
02:07 It's freezing cold, dangerous radiation, and no air at all.
02:11 If you're out there, your blood boils or you simply freeze instantly.
02:16 But despite all that, humans could survive in outer space for a while.
02:20 Imagine you're suddenly thrown out of your spaceship.
02:23 In movies, that would mean instant departure from the life station.
02:27 But in real life, it's not as instant as Hollywood makes it seem.
02:31 Scientists have done questionable experiments and had accidents with humans.
02:36 There was an astronaut who had his spacesuit accidentally depressurized.
02:41 He blacked out but was luckily ok after repressurization, although he did lose his sense of taste for
02:47 a while.
02:48 In any case, it turns out you could actually survive for a couple of minutes in the vacuum
02:53 of space, but it's not a pleasant experience.
02:57 When you're in space without a suit, the lack of pressure makes air in your lungs expand,
03:02 which is really bad if you're holding your breath.
03:05 Within a minute, you'll pass out from lack of oxygen.
03:09 It takes just a few seconds for everything to go dark.
03:15 However, there is a form of life that can hang out in outer space just fine.
03:22 Scientists found some tiny creatures called extremophiles that can handle all that.
03:27 They're nature's most brave survivors.
03:30 These microbes can handle crazy conditions like freezing cold, no air, and lots of radiation.
03:36 Recently, we decided to find out how this special bacterium copes in space.
03:43 Scientists sent it up to the International Space Station and left it outside for a whole
03:47 year.
03:48 When they checked on it later, they found something amazing.
03:51 The bacterium hadn't changed much in appearance, and it even had produced tiny structures called
03:57 outer membrane vesicles to protect itself.
04:00 It turns out that this bacterium has a superpower.
04:04 It can repair its DNA and fight off harmful molecules that could damage it.
04:09 It also changes the way it uses energy to adapt to space life.
04:13 This could help us learn more about how life can exist beyond our planet.
04:18 It was called the Transpopo mission.
04:24 Bacteria are incredibly adaptive.
04:27 For example, we discovered that bacteria can float around in space for years.
04:32 These tiny organisms can stick together in clumps like little protective communities.
04:37 They can survive the harsh conditions of outer space by doing so.
04:41 In a cool experiment, scientists put some really tough bacteria on the outside of the
04:46 International Space Station.
04:48 These bacteria were in little balls, each five sheets of paper thick.
04:54 As a result, they stayed out there, unharmed, for three whole years.
04:58 Their outer layers acted like shields, protecting the ones inside from all the space nasties.
05:05 These discoveries suggest that groups of bacteria could travel through space between planets.
05:10 They call this idea panspermia, which basically means spreading life through the universe.
05:16 In other words, space travel might accidentally bring life to other planets.
05:21 So if we found microbial life on Mars, for example, that could even signify that it had
05:26 arrived there from somewhere.
05:31 All this means that some microbes could survive in outer space.
05:35 With more complex creatures like animals, however, things get harder.
05:39 The most important thing for sustaining life is energy.
05:44 Everything else is a nice addition, but without energy, we wouldn't get anywhere.
05:49 Life also needs a lot of chemicals mixed in a liquid for a long time and in a big space
05:54 station to function.
05:57 If there's not enough pressure, the liquid evaporates.
06:00 That means there's hardly any pressure at all.
06:03 Life evolving inside an asteroid or moon that lacks atmosphere might be possible.
06:09 Life adapting to space is possible.
06:12 Hypothetically, these space-living beings could be made of gas, sentient clouds floating
06:18 around.
06:19 They could also be made of pure energy, invisible but able to communicate through their energy
06:24 levels.
06:25 Or some giants with their own atmosphere, like Earth, with smaller creatures living
06:29 on them.
06:30 But all this is extremely unlikely, so the chances that life will evolve in outer space
06:35 by itself are super low.
06:39 Now, imagine if, instead of space, we were talking about a planet covered in a tough,
06:46 non-breathable layer around it.
06:49 Surprisingly, even if there's no air on the planet, there are still some chances that
06:53 life could evolve.
06:55 At least if there are some signs of water.
06:58 Below the surface, there could be rivers warmed by special vents spewing out minerals.
07:03 Life could start there, away from the surface where it's safe from drying up.
07:09 Breathing is just one way we get energy, but there are other options.
07:13 For example, sunlight.
07:15 Think about the moon's surface.
07:17 There's no air there, but we could still use solar power to survive.
07:20 However, we're deep underground.
07:24 With limited access to sunlight, these creatures would have to evolve ingenious ways to harness
07:29 alternative energy sources.
07:31 Some of them could possess photosynthetic capabilities, using specialized pigments to
07:35 harness even the faintest traces of light filtering through the planet's crust.
07:40 Others could form symbiotic relationships with certain bacteria that could help them
07:44 receive energy from minerals and organic compounds in the rivers.
07:51 Deep below the planet's surface, the rivers aren't just sources of water.
07:56 They're rich in nutrients vital for a sustaining life.
07:59 These rivers flow through vast underground networks, creating pockets of habitable environments
08:05 where life thrives.
08:07 These creatures could eat solid minerals and develop shells to keep their insides moist.
08:12 They'd have to evolve unique biological features to survive in their harsh surroundings.
08:17 For example, some species might develop bioluminescence to navigate the dark underground tunnels.
08:24 Others could adapt sensory organs capable of detecting subtle changes in the environment,
08:29 helping them locate sources of nutrients and avoid danger.
08:33 Kind of like moles.
08:35 These ecosystems would operate on a delicate balance of nutrient cycling.
08:41 Microorganisms would break down organic matter and release essential nutrients into the rivers.
08:46 This in turn could help plants evolve.
08:49 And plants could become food for larger creatures.
08:52 And so on.
08:56 And then, who knows what could happen over millennia?
08:59 As the planet's crust shifts and cracks over time, exposing these underground realms
09:03 to new challenges, the creatures adapt and evolve in response.
09:08 In any case, what we learned is that life is much more adapting than we previously thought.
09:13 It could survive even in extremely harsh conditions.
09:17 We might not know what types of life we'll discover on other planets, but we shouldn't
09:22 be surprised if we find it in weird, unexpected places.
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