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See this animated gif?

It's two comb jellies, each of which was injured, with a part of its body ripped off ...

... and the two healed themselves by merging into one

All their systems -- nerves, gastrointestinal -- merge. If you poke one of the jellies the whole organism reacts

Scientists only just now discovered that comb jellies can do this

Item #6 in my latest "Linkfest" newsletter, free to read and subscribe to here: buttondown.com/clivethompson/a…

#6
in reply to Clive Thompson

I'm fascinated by your linkfest's "cryptophasia". I remember well my childhood's secret writing (long before school, and I was no twin). It existed as a secret language I used to talk to insects and other animals, even flowers. As an adult, I found out that I had practised asemic writing: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asemic_w…

I'm quite sure that every child has similar phases but unlearns it quicker if alone/by education/by adults. The latter is like waking up from human belief in fairy tales ...