Single-celled farmers

While we normally think of single-celled organisms as pond scum, scientists recently published a paper showing that amoebae, single celled eukaryotes, can be social and look out for the good of their populations. When they are running low on the bacteria they eat, the amoebae band together with the last few bacteria into a balloon-like structure, which floats away in the wind. When they land, they "plant" their bacteria in the new area which hopefully has more food for them. In this way, the amoebae can spread to a new location and take their food along with them. I thought this was a very impressive feat for a single-celled organism; you can read more at Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=amoeba-animal-farmers

Another fascinating study, published this month in the journal Science, indicates that people who write down their anxieties for a few minutes before a test can up their scores by about 5%, especially those who are normally prone to test anxiety. Might want to consider this strategy before your next exam! Link: http://www.boingboing.net/2011/01/20/relieving-test-anxie.html