Speculative Fact #294: Energy Eating Bacteria

Shocking news from the world of science. At the University of Southern California (USC), biologists have discovered bacteria (shockingly, worldwide at least ten species of such species have been found) that “eat” electrons to derive energy instead of processing nutrients and sugar.  
            Beyond challenging Biologists to define or redefine life, this is an energetic opportunity for speculative fiction writers. We've all fried our brains trying to envision new and truly alien aliens. Or perhaps your story is locally based and has devices powered by bacteria that both eat and excrete pure energy. Such devices could facilitate a transition from hardware to wetware as the lines between technology and biology get blurred.
An organism that feeds off of energy may not necessarily be a new concept. To be sure, other authors have gone down that road, but it’s a road that’s just been repaved. This discovery could electrify your work and spark curiosity in an audience that's just been zapped.

-Jonathan Hernandez

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