Top 8 Geekiest Things Ever Sent Into Space By Mark  [25 more lists]

This is geeky because it falls in that same kind of "Revenge of the Nerds" clumsiness we expect from any kind of social hermit, so technically this might be a little more "nerdy". Nonetheless, this is pretty interesting and will allow you a get out of jail free card with people who don't respect you.

The Space Shuttle Discovery was noted as sporting some white guano spattering three weeks prior to lift off and, despite regular Florida thunderstorms, they were still there upon take off... and they were still there when they got back.

During launch, a shuttle is sprayed with 300,000 galleons of water and the craft accelerates from zero to 17,500 mph in just under 9 minutes. Despite such a voyage, the shuttle was still sporting the white blotches on the aircraft as it blasted into space.

So next time someone gives you c**p about your car being covered in bird poop, you can point them to this fact... and then to your bank account.

Awesome nerdy scientists created what can only be described as the WORST THING EVER. These Kilowog-looking bacteria are actually super-charged, super-powered Salmonella, out to destroy the Earth. This is the closest that we've come to a Fantastic Four effect so far. If all of this meant nothing to you, basically it means these purple and green things came back from space super-powered (by which we mean "more potent").

In September 2006, a space shuttle blasted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center with tubes containing Salmonella typhimurium to see how space travel affected germs.

Upon return, after feeding the space germs to mice, scientists found that the microbes turned into super-bugs and became stronger and more deadly than ever. The mice were more likely to get sick and died quicker than others that were fed the identical germs that remained on Earth. They discovered that the genetic behavior had altered and became three times more potent. They were also more virulent and resistant to high temperatures, acidic conditions and white blood cells.

Note to self: do not attempt to cook chicken in space.

Tardigrades, or "water bears," are microscopic eight-legged critters known to survive extreme temperatures, tons of radiation, and nearly a decade without water on Earth. So what did science decide to do? Basically put them in a Gladiator ring by saying "you want more, do you?... Well..."

Since these little guys (who kind of look, adorably, like porpoises) can pretty much withstand ANYTHING, we thought we'd send them into space, see what happens.

In September 2008, these creatures proved their survival in the extreme environment of outer space. These cute little invertebrates survived in perfect health upon their return to Earth.

I, for one, welcome our new, microscopic, tiny-handed overlords and their reign of horrible, horrible terror.