In the 2008 film Wall-E, Earth was in a post-apocalyptic state in which it was filled with abandoned remnants of human society and a trash-compacting robot whose only living companion is an adorable pet cockroach named Hal. The insect is Pixar's nod to the popular myth that cockroaches could outlive humans and other species.
This creepy crawlies could have a reputation for their resilience, but could they survive a nuclear war? Experts weighed in on the possible survival of cockroaches in case of a nuclear bomb and subsequent radiation exposure.
Urban Myth: Cockroaches Can Survive in the Aftermath of a Nuclear War
The urban myth that cockroaches can survive even a nuclear war perhaps came from the rumors that insects thrived in the aftermath of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan.
But Professor Tilman Ruff of the School of Population and Global Health, a Nobel Laureate who studies health and environmental effects of nuclear explosions, said that he has not yet seen documented evidence of cockroaches scuttling in the rubble of the nuclear explosions in Japan.
He said in a statement via a press release from the University of Melbourne that there have been photographs of injured people in Hiroshima with lots of flies around them, which means that some insects would have survived. But that also means they were affected even though they seem more resistant than humans.
In 2012, the US TV series Mythbusters tested the urban myth of the cockroach survival theory. They had cockroaches exposed to radioactive material and found that the insects survived longer than humans, although they would also perish in extreme radiation levels.
Professor Mark Elgar said the test results are incomplete because it only tested how long the cockroaches would live after exposure to radiation. The test failed to look at the ability of cockroaches to produce viable eggs that ensure the continuity of their species.
Not Just Cockroaches But All Insects
Newsweek reports that experts weigh in on whether cockroaches could survive even a nuclear war after a previously assumed to be extinct species of cockroach was found. Its rediscovery is another example of the longevity and survivability of the creepy crawlies.
The wingless wood-eating cockroach is a species found on Australia's Lord Howe Island that was last seen more than 80 years ago. Experts thought the insect was extinct due to the introduction of rats on the island.
It is just one of the 4,600 species of cockroaches on Earth, many of which are known to be domestic and agricultural pests. Cockroaches are considered one of the sturdiest species on the planet, with many films depicting the sole survivors of the apocalypse.
The myth could be partly true, says entomology researcher Paul Eggleton from London's Natural History Museum. Cockroaches and most insects are less affected by radioactivity than mammals, as they have slow cell cycles. More so, they feed on anything, which means that many insects will still survive a nuclear event, not just cockroaches.
Ecology expert Timothy Mousseau added that all organisms that are shielded from the brunt of the radiation and reproduce quickly would do best in a cataclysmic event. These organisms likely live deep underground or at the bottom of oceans.
The rediscovery of the highly endangered cockroach species on Lord Howe Island is a reminder that not all cockroaches are the same and their persistence to human activities is very variable.
Watch the video below of how Mythbusters conducted their experiment:
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