A Day in the Life of the Timeless Creature

Is eternal life possible? This question has intrigued people and been debated throughout history. So, what's the answer? Until 314 years ago, the prevalent belief was that no living being (let alone humans) could possess eternal life. However, in the midst of the 18th century (in the year 1701), Swiss biologist Abraham Trembley declared that this assumption was incorrect.

How did Trembley arrive at such groundbreaking conclusions? It's an interesting story. It all started on a clear day when he discovered an elongated creature with arms in a murky puddle in a field, piquing his curiosity. Like any inquisitive researcher fascinated by new discoveries, Trembley hurried to his lab and began to analyze the strange creature he had found.

As gruesome and ruthless as it may sound, Trembley, with no other option, dissected the creature lengthwise to expand his knowledge of its anatomy. But surprisingly and against all odds, rather than showing signs of death, each half of the body began to "duplicate" itself and grew into a new complete creature.

Naturally, further developments occurred later by other researchers, including Daniel Martinez, who decided to take the research in his direction and see what happens to hydras placed under harsh conditions. Martinez sealed the hydras in a waterless test tube and anxiously waited to see the results.

A multi-armed hydra (photo: shutterstock)

A few days later, when he examined the test tube, he was astonished to find that the hydras not only survived but also reproduced, bringing new "offspring" into the world. Martinez was undeterred. 'I have plenty of time,' he thought and decided to wait as long as necessary—a week, a month, a year, or even years—to witness the demise of the resilient creature.

Four years later, when he reopened the sealed test tube, he couldn't believe his eyes: the hydras were thriving as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. At that point, Martinez validated Trembley's conclusion and declared confidently that hydras are creatures immune to decay and aging, truly living forever.

Close-up of a hydra (photo: shutterstock)