Microscopic worms might hold key to living on Mars

LONDON - British scientists believe microscopic worms which are biologically very similar to humans may be the key to helping humans colonize other planets like Mars by giving clues on coping with long-term space living.

A team of scientists led by Nathaniel Szewczyk from Nottingham University blasted 4,000 of the worms, known as Caenorhabditis elegans, or C. elegans, into space on board the Space Shuttle Discovery, and studied their progress.

Many experts - including astrophysicist Stephen Hawking - believe the ultimate survival of humanity could be dependent on the human colonization of other planets.