Immortality is such an intriguing notion: Living Forever and Ever and Ever. It's a characteristic you'll find in many myths and legends, whether a mythological god/goddess, vampire, faerie or other creature who never dies. It's a theme that shows up in a plethora of literature, whether ancient, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, or modern, like Alyson Noel's best selling YA series, The Immortals.
It's also something that a certain animal has accomplished, a creature we can see with our own eyes and is the subject of many excited scientists' studies. Meet Turritopsis nutricula, an amazing little (5 mm) jellyfish. It hails from the Caribbean but scientists predict it will someday inhabit every ocean. What's so fascinating about this little guy is while most jellyfish die after propagating, Turritopsis nutricula goes back to a polyp stage.
So it grows to maturation, propagates, and then turns back into a juvenile! This isn't to say that they never die; but they don't need to die and therefore have the potential to be immortal.
So it grows to maturation, propagates, and then turns back into a juvenile! This isn't to say that they never die; but they don't need to die and therefore have the potential to be immortal.
Cool, huh? Until they take over the world, that is! :)
Have you made or stumbled upon a recent scientific discovery that many of us might not know about? If so, please share!
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