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00:03 Back in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant melted down, resulting in the largest nuclear
00:09 disaster in human history. The surrounding area was evacuated, and lingering radiation will leave
00:15 Pripyat uninhabitable for the next 20,000 years. However, recently, scientists studying the effects
00:20 of radiation on the myriad animal species there noticed something interesting. Some microscopic
00:26 worms that reside there show no signs of radiation. Other tests on creatures in the area has revealed
00:31 clear signs of radiation damage, and the number of invertebrates in general has decreased as well.
00:36 So researchers collected hundreds of nematodes from all over the Chernobyl exclusion zone,
00:40 and tested them, their offspring, and looked at the genetic sequencing of both, finding that despite
00:46 living in a high radiation environment, there was not only no greater rate of mutation amongst those
00:51 worms, but they also didn't show signs of DNA damage. What's more, the specific strain of worms,
00:56 Otypulae, didn't seem to pass on any markers of radiation exposure to their offspring,
01:00 with the study concluding that they must be more tolerant to radiation for some reason,
01:04 though they still don't know why. The researchers say this find could be monumental,
01:09 and could lead to new medicines to help combat the horrific effects of radiation exposure.
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