Even bacteria are susceptible to deception. Scientists have noticed that fakes spread not only among animals but also in the micro-world.
Sometimes, lies are compared to a virus that can infect the collective consciousness.
Just one bird can cause panic in a flock by simply making an incorrect report. This leads to information being distorted and forming a whole chain of fakes. Bacteria operate in a similar way, exchanging information at the molecular level. But how do they "make mistakes"?
Researchers from Cornell University have discovered that distortions occur during the process of information transfer between cells. This can be seen as a kind of mutation, where part of the important information is lost, and ultimately a distorted message reaches the recipient. For example, the Salmonella bacterium actively interferes with the information exchange between other bacteria, misleading them about the size of its colonies.
This kind of distortion can lead to autoimmune diseases, where the immune system starts to perceive its own cells as foreign and attempts to destroy them. There are many examples of such phenomena.
How "biological fakes" arise
Scientists have identified three mechanisms that contribute to the emergence of disinformation.
1. Loss of details. When information is transmitted from the source to the recipient, part of the context may be lost, leading to misinterpretation.
2. Alteration of messages. When information is passed "from mouth to mouth," it may acquire new details or lose part of its meaning, similar to the spread of rumors.
3. Distortion of perception in a group. If individuals rely on each other's behavior when receiving information, one individual's mistake can lead to a collective misconception that becomes firmly rooted in the group.
However, there are also positive aspects. Evolution has adapted organisms to false information: mammals, for example, have learned to verify it on an individual level and adjust their behavior based on the results. Guppy fish also demonstrate similar abilities.
Thus, researchers conclude that disinformation is an integral part of the biological process, comparable to natural selection and mutation, and is characteristic of all living beings.
