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[martinuzz]

A new studies into the naked mole rat has further baffled scientists with this amazing species.
The little mammal is already very special, in that it is immune to pain (no pain receptors), and immune to cancer, while living up to 30 years of age.

The new studies showed that they can go completely without any oxygen, without any damage to their organs or brain. When deprived of oxygen, the mammals metabolism switches to fructose anaerobic respiration, like plants do.

The researchers placed them in a tube containing no oxygen at all. After about 30 seconds, the animals passed out, and seemed to die. However, when oxygen was added 15 minutes later, the animals regained consciousness, and went about their daily lives again without any noticable damage.

When placed in a tube with low oxygen content, in which a human would die within minutes, the animals survived for over 5 hours.

[Max™]

and turtles are only oceanic in some places.

Well, you can't be oceanic on firm land, can you? Of course they'll only be oceanic in the ocean. 

I mean in like the UK I think the word tortoise is used for everything except sea turtles and the like.

[Max™]

"So how was your day?"
'Got sick of trying to suffocate naked mole rats and clocked out, yours?'
"Uh, I just did... normal work stuff."

[Arcvasti]

If I had to choose what type of radioactive animal to get bitten by, naked mole rats would be at the top of the list. I swear they've got all the good adaptations.

[Starver]

Would save you the time shaving. Or waxing.

[Max™]

Growing a beard solves both those problems too, freeing me up to pick something with wings!

[TheBiggerFish]

A new studies into the naked mole rat has further baffled scientists with this amazing species.
The little mammal is already very special, in that it is immune to pain (no pain receptors), and immune to cancer, while living up to 30 years of age.

The new studies showed that they can go completely without any oxygen, without any damage to their organs or brain. When deprived of oxygen, the mammals metabolism switches to fructose anaerobic respiration, like plants do.

The researchers placed them in a tube containing no oxygen at all. After about 30 seconds, the animals passed out, and seemed to die. However, when oxygen was added 15 minutes later, the animals regained consciousness, and went about their daily lives again without any noticable damage.

When placed in a tube with low oxygen content, in which a human would die within minutes, the animals survived for over 5 hours.

What the....

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Makes sense to me. They're burrowers, and that's a useful adaptation to have for being underground, where oxygen can be scarce.

[Descan]

Also, pretty sure humans can also get the "immunity to pain" thing. It's called congenital analgesia, and it's a very debilitating disorder. No pain = no immediate safety reflex = constant vigilance against anything that could harm your body. You can't be "hurt," but your body can still be harmed. You just don't have a warning system for it.

[Gentlefish]

Also, pretty sure humans can also get the "immunity to pain" thing. It's called congenital analgesia, and it's a very debilitating disorder. No pain = no immediate safety reflex = constant vigilance against anything that could harm your body. You can't be "hurt," but your body can still be harmed. You just don't have a warning system for it.

Yeah I actually read an article on that. I think the popsci was referencing this paper. It was pretty awesome that we've discovered the issue.

[Teneb]

Also, pretty sure humans can also get the "immunity to pain" thing. It's called congenital analgesia, and it's a very debilitating disorder. No pain = no immediate safety reflex = constant vigilance against anything that could harm your body. You can't be "hurt," but your body can still be harmed. You just don't have a warning system for it.

Heck, you don't even need total immunity to pain to need to be incredibly vigilant about getting hurt. I discovered the hard way that I am extremely resistant to pain, and that way was the total collapse of my left lung and partial collapse of my right lung, simultaneously, feeling "merely" like I was being poked between the ribs.

[Starver]

Meet Steve, whom nobody had noticed before.

[wierd]

Microbial colonists of "mini-mothra" present efficient mechanism for rapid decomposition of plastics.

Or, how microbiologists and etymologists discovered a solution for the pacific gyre (and doom anything made of plastic)
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39694553

[martinuzz]

They're nowhere near practical application though. Now they need to find which enzyme(s) enable it to depolymerise the plastics, and find a way to produce it in meaningful quantities.
(The article in my newspaper has some numbers. It would take 100 worms 100 days to digest a single 20 gram plastic bag.)
http://www.volkskrant.nl/wetenschap/oplossing-voor-plasticberg-is-het-nog-niet-wel-interessant-deze-rups-eet-plastic~a4490514/

Still, nice find.

[wierd]

All they need to do is make transgenic yeast, and it's on like donkey kong.