![Bacterial Harpoons Pluck Naked DNA from the Environment for Sex, Snacks [Video]](https://static.scientificamerican.com/blogs/cache/file/76A63800-301D-44F6-A202D2B24BA2FCAB_agenda.jpg?w=275&h=154&fit=crop)
Bacterial Harpoons Pluck Naked DNA from the Environment for Sex, Snacks [Video]
Natural bacterial transformation happens, thanks to sticky, flexible fibers called pili
The Artful Amoeba
A Blog About the Weird Wonderfulness of Life on Earth
Tiny Orchid Seeds Possess Understated Beauty and, Occasionally, Tools
Enterprising seeds secure preferred real estate by deploying coiled threads
Blanket Hermit Crabs Use Anemones as Defensive Snuggies
Invertebrate apparel is apparently nonplussed
Giant Flatworms Invaded France and Ran Amok for 2 Decades before Scientists Realized It
Worms are living the dream of 400 years of medieval English armies
Algae Living inside Salamanders Aren't Happy about the Situation
The world’s only known vertebrate–microbe symbiosis appears to be good for the salamander, but stressful for the alga. So why do they put up with it?
Fungus MacGyvered Gravity Sensor from Stolen Bacterial Protein
Chewing gum and baking soda not required
Zombie Cicadas' Bodies Are Literally Falling Apart
Parasitic fungus manipulates bodies and bedroom behavior of hapless insects
A Big Garden: A Where's Waldo? World of Botany and Whimsy
Deeply weird but beautifully illustrated new children’s book channels Hieronymous Bosch
Prions Are Forever
The lethal proteins are in the Hard-to-Kill Hall of Fame--and may be more common than we realize
Shameless Bacterial Predator Remodels Its Own Prey
Bacterial big game hunters drill into victims, brace the hole, and then seal the wound behind them
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