Philip Perry

Surprising Science — Freeze it, boil it, or expose it to radiation. The water bear shrugs it off. Now we know why. The tardigrade, also known as the moss piglet or water bear, is a bizarre, microscopic creature that looks like something out of a Disney nightmare scene: strange but not particularly threatening. The pudgy, eight-legged, water-borne creature appears to be perpetually puckering. It’s the farthest thing from what you’d expect an unstoppable organism to look like.

Editor's Note: This is a part of YourTango's Opinion section where individual authors can provide varying perspectives for wide-ranging political, social, and personal commentary on issues. Some Americans dream of traveling to Europe and engaging in a love affair with a good-looking European or even marrying one.

Culture & Religion — How much can something change and still be the same thing? Key Takeaways If you were to incrementally remove parts of an object and replace them with new parts, at what point would you say that object has become an entirely new object? This is the basic question behind the ancient Greek thought experiment known as Theseus' paradox. Despite many attempts from philosophers, it's hard to pin down a satisfying answer to this ancient question.