I am completely captivated by the concept of Bacterial Mob Mentality. We all know about germs. They are tiny and prolific and exist almost everywhere. As single cell life forms they don’t have arms, legs, ears or mouths, and they absolutely don’t have brains. In the right conditions they divide and divide until there are millions of cells clustered together. These clusters may have many species living and communicating amongst themselves in a healthy and vibrant miniature ecosystem. Then it gets spooky.
The individual brainless bacteria start acting as if they were part of one body. A slimy amorphous biofilm body where individuals stop acting on their own and start acting for the greater good. To quote the article: “Biofilms have long baffled researchers because of their stupefying capacity to behave like a "super-organism" that vetoes the normal characteristics of a bacterial cell in favor of new group behaviors.” Millions of living organisms surrendering individuality to live as an unthinking part of the greater whole.
The individual brainless bacteria start acting as if they were part of one body. A slimy amorphous biofilm body where individuals stop acting on their own and start acting for the greater good. To quote the article: “Biofilms have long baffled researchers because of their stupefying capacity to behave like a "super-organism" that vetoes the normal characteristics of a bacterial cell in favor of new group behaviors.” Millions of living organisms surrendering individuality to live as an unthinking part of the greater whole.
