Colonies of bacteria could save the Pentagon billions
America’s armies hope to make use of beneficial biofilms
PLAQUE ON TEETH, slime on stones, gunge around taps and showers. Biofilms—slimy, durable colonies of bacteria—are everywhere. Much of the research into them focuses on the hard-to-treat infections they can cause in people. But they can damage inanimate objects, too.
This article appeared in the Science & technology section of the print edition under the headline “Bacterial warfare”
From the September 30th 2023 edition
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Elon Musk is causing problems for the Royal Society
His continued membership has led to a high-profile resignation
Deforestation is costing Brazilian farmers millions
Without trees to circulate moisture, the land is getting hotter and drier
Robots can learn new actions faster thanks to AI techniques
They could soon show their moves in settings from car factories to care homes
Scientists are learning why ultra-processed foods are bad for you
A mystery is finally being solved
Scientific publishers are producing more papers than ever
Concerns about some of their business models are building
The two types of human laugh
One is caused by tickling; the other by everything else