Real Bioluminescence, Chameleon Octupus and Ant Networking

If you've been spending too many hours in the lab pounding out luciferase assays, these couple of TED talks are a quick reminder of how cool real biology is. The first video starts with some amazing bioluminescence patterns being generated in the deep sea, but even cooler is the last clip of an octopus changing color. The second is a more science-oriented talk by Deborah Gordon on her amazing research on the self-organizing behavior of ant colonies. Makes you wonder whether similar principles underlie the workings of other complex biological system like cells and the brain. Here's a link to a brief essay by Gordon if you're interested in reading more. 2007 Gordon, D. M. Control without hierarchy. Nature 4468:143. Enjoy!