George ILIEV
A recent MIT study published in the journal Science explores an
interesting phenomenon: the ocean-dwelling photosynthesizing cyanobacteria
produce bubbles of nutrients and DNA and release them “most charitably” into
the ocean for other microorganisms to feed on. Cyanobacteria live in the sun-lit
layers of water and account for over 50% of all photosynthesis in the ocean. As a crucial component of phytoplankton, the cyanobacteria are at the bottom of the food
pyramid and are the food source for krill and other zooplankton. The mystery of the charitably secreted bubbles (vesicles) turns out to have a not-so-charitable explanation. The most intriguing hypothesis holds that the membrane-enclosed vesicles of DNA serve as decoys to attract virus attacks, thus vastly reducing the chance of viruses successfully zooming in onto the cyanobacteria themselves.
Companies use decoys in a similar way in “decoy pricing”,
most eloquently described by Dan Ariely in his 2008 best-seller "Predictably Irrational" with the example of subscription plans for The
Economist. When offering three or more products in the same category,
supermarkets strategically price the most expensive two products at the same
price level. The less attractive of the two products serves as a basis against which the
customer compares (the more attractive product. Thus the customer is unconsciously nudged towards buying the more attractive expensive product as it appears to be a better deal for the same price, completely forgetting the cheapest product on the shelf.
Photo: Cyanobacteria in the ocean (Source: Wikipedia)
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