An informal list of the many things that amaze me.

They can solve mazes, control robots, and even memorize and anticipate the timing of unpleasant events. Plus, there is a species colourfully named the Dog vomit slime mould. Oh, and they also invented agriculture. How cool is that?

Tardigrades

What is a tardigrade? These microscopic critters look like bears earning them the popular name Water Bear. They belong to the phylum tardigrada and scientists have made whole careers out of finding novel ways to kill them. Among other things, they have survived: exposure to a vacuum, exposure to near absolute 0, a decade without water, and 570,000 rads of x-ray radiation (1000-2000 rads would be fatal to humans) . Here is a short video clip.

Insect Agriculture

Ants, bark beetles and termites all have developed forms of agriculture. Ants protect aphid herds from predators in exchange for the sugary secretions produced by the aphids (like dairy cows). Leaf cutter ants tend amazing fungal gardens. Incredibly, some species produce antibiotics which protect their crops from invasive fungi. Check out this short documentary for more info on leaf cutter ants.

Bees Use Symbolic Language

The waggle dance of the honeybee is the only known use of symbolic language by a non-human animal. The bees use the dance to communicate the locations of food sources. Check out this Video clip.

Leopard Slug Mating Habits

It might not sound sexy, but check out this video clip from Life in the Undergrowth. You will be amazed. Trust me.