00:03Back in 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant melted down, resulting in the largest nuclear
00:09disaster in human history. The surrounding area was evacuated, and lingering radiation
00:14will leave Pripyat uninhabitable for the next 20,000 years. However, recently, scientists
00:19studying the effects of radiation on the myriad animal species there noticed something interesting.
00:24Some microscopic worms that reside there show no signs of radiation. Other tests on creatures
00:30in the area has revealed clear signs of radiation damage, and the number of invertebrates in
00:34general has decreased as well. So researchers collected hundreds of nematodes from all over
00:39the Chernobyl exclusion zone and tested them, their offspring, and looked at the genetic
00:44sequencing of both, finding that despite living in a high radiation environment, there was
00:48not only no greater rate of mutation amongst those worms, but they also didn't show signs
00:53of DNA damage. What's more, this specific strain of worms, otipulae, didn't seem to pass on
00:58any markers of radiation exposure to their offspring, with the study concluding that they must be
01:02more tolerant to radiation for some reason, though they still don't know why. The researchers
01:07say this find could be monumental, and could lead to new medicines to help combat the horrific
01:12effects of radiation exposure.
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