Tiempodemarte

What do bacterial communities and your brain have in common? The way they communicate!

Scientists at UC San Diego recently discovered that bacteria communities use electronic signals and ion channels to communicate–a lot like the electrical signals of neurons in the brain.

This means that, when bacteria form a community, like the biofilm, it can adapt to survive attacks from chemicals and antibiotics. Biofilms can range in presentation–from the tartar buildup on your teeth, to the more threatening forms that cause pneumonia and meningitis. Knowing how they communicate can help scientists discover more effective treatments for diseases caused by these bacteria.

This gives scientists a new way of thinking about bacteria as well as a new way of thinking about the brain. Gürol Süel, who served as the head of the research project, elaborates: “Our discovery suggests that neurological disorders that are triggered by metabolic stress may have ancient bacterial origins, and could thus provide a new perspective on how to treat such conditions.”

It sounds like these scientists have more exciting discoveries ahead of them!

The Golden-Eagle Hunters of Mongolia

Members of Mongolia’s traditional nomadic clans domesticate golden eagles to hunt foxes and other animals. Many of the men talk about loving the eagles like their own children. The photographer Palani Mohan documents the bond between man and bird in the Altai mountains.

Find more photographs on newyorker.com.

West Bengal, India, 1983.

Stilts house on Braies Lake in Südtirol, Italy.

Cabin in Ustaoset, Norway.