Rooting for Roaches in Space: Madagascar Hissing Roaches Thrive in Vacuum

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the survival capabilities of Madagascar hissing roaches in a vacuum environment, particularly in the context of space exploration. Participants explore the implications of these findings and speculate on the potential for these insects to thrive in extraterrestrial conditions.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses surprise and support for the resilience of Madagascar hissing roaches, citing their ability to survive in a vacuum for over two hours.
  • Another participant questions the significance of the vacuum survival test, suggesting that the duration was insufficient to draw meaningful conclusions.
  • A participant humorously remarks on the idea of roaches surviving as stowaways in space, indicating a light-hearted take on the implications of their hardiness.
  • One participant proposes a speculative idea about human-roach splicing to enhance human survival in space, raising questions about the feasibility of such an approach.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the implications of the roaches' survival in a vacuum, with some questioning the relevance of the findings while others express fascination with the potential for these insects in space.

Contextual Notes

Participants do not clarify the specific conditions of the vacuum test or the biological mechanisms that allow the roaches to survive, leaving assumptions about their resilience and adaptability unaddressed.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in astrobiology, entomology, and the potential for life in extreme environments may find this discussion relevant.

ZapperZ
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I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm actually rooting for these roaches.

http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060807/full/060807-7.html

Still, I had to laugh when I got to this part:

At 100 millibars — one-tenth of normal atmospheric pressure - the bugs actively pumped air into their abdomens to survive, he found, swelling themselves up in the process to about one and a half times the normal size. "It's pretty gross actually," says Cockell.

Bigelow Aerospace tested a number of different cockroaches and found that the Madagascar hissing roach, which can grow to more than 7.5 centimetres long and can weigh as much as 24 grams, proved that they had the right stuff by enduring more than 2 hours in a vacuum. "After 20 to 30 minutes they came back to life and we thought 'Oh my gosh, they deserve to go to space'," says Bigelow.

:)

Now, if only we can see how these roaches deal with the meerkats...

Zz.
 
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They were then in a vacuum for a few minutes before the Genesis I craft was deployed and inflated.
That would be enough to kill many creatures, but not necessarily the hardy cockroach, which can survive many weeks without food.
Lol, how does this prove anything?
 
You mean we can't even avoid roaches by moving to space? They would survive as stowaways?
 
If we want to conquer space I suggest some sort of human roach splicing project should be set up. How well do they fair on re-entry?