Two separate spider research projects published remarkable results, both in the journal Current Biology. These spiders’ specific features show their miniature skills, and cause us to marvel at their Maker.

by Randy J. Guliuzza and Aaron T. Guliuzza*

The sprouting of a seed is crucial to not only the beginning of a plant’s life, but all life on earth. Despite this fundamental process of importance to plant biology, scientists are baffled over how seeds detect when there’s enough water to germinate. This mystery is now beginning to unfold and nothing less than finely tuned engineering is the clear result.
 

Let’s say you recorded a library of books onto DNA. Hundreds of books could fit on your fingertip, but how would you find the one book you wanted?

How would you do if someone spun you around every few seconds all day long? Marine algae repeatedly get tossed about in coastal surf, and they cope quite well. Researchers want to find out how. The latest set of experiments has revealed built-in machinery that helps these single-celled creatures thrive amid the turbulence.