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A laser beam can alter a fly’s behavior and make it mate with just about anything — even a ball of wax, according to scientists at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. The researchers have developed an experiment which involves shining an infrared laser directly at the head of a fly whose brain has been altered using heat-activated proteins. This alteration allows the laser, dubbed the "Fly Mind-Altering Device" (FlyMAD), to activate specific neurons involved in mating.

behavioral modification was so strong that it persisted for about 15 minutes after the laser was turned off.

The new organisms are multicellular but mostly non-symmetrical, with a dense layer of gelatinous material between the outer skin cell and inner stomach cell layers. The researchers did find some similarities to other animal groupings, such as the Cnidaria - the phylum that comprises corals and jellyfish - and the Ctenophora, which includes the marine organisms known as comb jellies. But the new organisms did not fulfil all the criteria required for inclusion in either of those categories.