Those of you who have read Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap know about the conversation my friend Margie (the Natural Sciences chair at the college) and I had about tardigrades, where we invented a societal structure for them.
I had no idea these water bears (as tardis are known) were the subject of a Cosmos episode this week! Now you can see pix of them. They are adorable, and, as the episode pointed out, tough. You can see how working mom tardigrades seem entirely possible. :]
Enjoy the tardis. Margie and I created a whole village system with elders and everything. Because, let’s face it, science or not, these little guys are friggin’ adorable.
Wendy Welch: Books, Yarn, Cats, Opioids 
…so, would an Appalachian tardigrade who stayed out too late be a tard tardigrade? or would that be one who just got new rubber spheres put upon its wheels?? and if they were used rubber spheres, would that be a re-tard tardigrade??? or (risking shades of political incorrectness) would a re-tard tardigrade be placed in the “special needs” class???? think I’ll re-tar to my study to ponder on such things…
I think he would be drawing Social-Security like me. I’ve been re-tard for years now.
I think any tardigrade that/who is late would have to be a tardy tardigrade. The kind of “late” as in a ten o’clock scholar, not the kind of “late” Mma Precious Ramotswe uses to describe her beloved father, who is late.