Super-fast computers... made by bacteria?

Scientists think they can mimic the processes of a bacterium that converts iron into powerful atom-sized magnets, which could be used for machine parts

Magnetospirillum Bacteria up close and personal: The magnetic properties of this bacterium could one day help scientists build faster, better computers.
(Image credit: Dr. Terry Beveridge/Visuals Unlimited/Corbis)

The bacterium Magnetospirillum magneticum can typically be found in ponds or lakes, just below the water's surface. Magnetospirillum isn't just your ordinary microbe, though. It possesses a strange and unique ability, one that scientists think may allow us to build faster and more powerful computers in the near future: The tiny creature regularly creates powerful nanoscale magnets that humans otherwise wouldn't be able to build. Here's what you should know:

What do the bacteria do, exactly?

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