Do bacteria have intelligence?

Straight out of a bizarre sci-fi plot, scientists in Japan are developing techniques in the training of ‘smart’ bacteria.

This is done within the framework of laying puzzles, akin to Sudoko-style grids, which present  simple rules to the bacteria, which are able to establish their own unique traffic schemes within the grids.

The ability to solve logical problems clearly suggests the possibility that they can be trained.

The research team, headed by Ryo Taniuchi, conducted an experiment involving 16 kinds of bacteria aligned in a cage with colors and identical numbers. Each colony contained similar genetic characteristics, depending on what type of cell it held within the puzzle box.

“…We are interested in the advantages that recombination (the swapping of large blocks of genetic information) could have played during the advent of life. We are investigating both the benefits that recombination gives for the creation of new genetic diversity and the protection that recombination provides against the accumulation of deleterious mutations…,” said Taniuchi.

Read more at Weird Asia News