Electric Eels Remotely Control the Movements of Their Prey

DARPA Has Created Self-Guided, Mid-Flight Changing Bullets

Today, in creepy science news, we have electric eels and the latest from DARPA. Turns humans aren’t so clever for creating remote-controlled stuff.

(Some people are less creepy about it. DARPA’s new stuff is at least as unnerving as this. Keep reading.)

Electric eels, it turns out, can create electric currents to locate and then immobilize prey. It goes like this: the eel swims along, looking for food. Every so often it sends out a little pulse. When the pulse hits a fish all silent and hiding, the fish involuntarily jerks. The eels senses the movement. Before the fish can escape, the eel sends out a bigger jolt that freezes the fish’s muscles so it can’t swim away.

I can think of some uses for an ability like that… mostly the second one. Check out the link at the top for more details and a cool video.

In more human news, DARPA has finally created target-seeking bullets. These bullets can literally change direction mid-flight to adjust its course and hit its target. Not intimidating at all. For all the paranoid folk out there: you can no longer count on inclement conditions or long distances to keep you safe from sniper bullets. These bullets will find you. They will find you.

Ahem.

So hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, without to much stress and at least one cool present.

So what do you think is creepier? Natures version or ours? Or are you super awesome and know about these things already?