At last we come to the fifth winning question about Microcosm, from Ceph. Once again, thanks to the ~240 people who entered the contest. I hope my answers to these five questions give you a sense of what my book’s about and why I’m so excited by this little germ. If you want to learn more about it, and about life, pick up a copy.

Ceph asks,

What is your favorite thing that has been done to E. coli (making it glow, smell like bananas, etc)?

My answer below…

Continue reading “Microcosm Winner #5: What’s Your Favorite E. coli Trick?” →

Here’s the fourth winning question about Microcosm, from Sigmund:

Creationists often point to the bacterial cell and say something to the effect of “the cell is so complicated it is highly improbable that it could have spontaneously formed – therefore God-did-it. Are there any particular features of E.coli that reveal simpler origins?

The answer below the fold…

Continue reading “Microcosm Winner #4: What Does E. coli Have to Say About Creationism?” →

Now we come to the third winning question about Microcosm. Kenatiod writes,

Long ago, in bacteriology class, the teacher (an ex-nun at an ex-Catholic college) was telling us about the type “F” pili that are used to pass DNA so coli can have sex. One of the students asked “Why do they call them type F?” The teacher started to answer, but stopped, and then she turned bright red. The class start laughing, and then she did as well, and then someone asked, “What other kinds of pili are there?” She pulled herself together, said “Thank you” and class continued.

Continue reading “Microcosm Winner #3: How Long Has E. coli Been So Sexy?” →

Here’s the second winning question about Microcosm, from Kevin:

E. coli is a bacteria commonly found in the intestines of some animals. What distinguishes the common and harmless strains from those that can cause illness and death?

A lot of people asked this question in the contest. But my sense is that most people think that E. coli is just a nasty germ. When I would tell people I was going to write about E. coli, they thought I was going to pen an expose of the food industry. It came as a surprise to them when I told them that they were carrying billions of E. coli inside them. [More below the fold…]

Continue reading “Microcosm Winner #2: Why Are Some E. coli Good and Some Bad?” →

Ryan writes, “I am a big astronomy buff and this is a depiction of an eclipse with the Eagle Nebula and one of the angelic spires within it.”

Carl: Check out this site at NASA for more pictures and some background about these staggering towers of light.

Click here to go to the full Science Tattoo Emporium. 

Originally published May 9, 2008. Copyright 2008 Carl Zimmer.