In this paper we discuss two novel ideas to improve teaching and information transfer between persons in general. The rst aspect is centered around proposing to use the \Tamagotchi craze" for teaching purposes, the second deals with new ways of unobtrusively collecting data on the subjective satisfaction of persons with information and teaching material o ered on the Web.

Recent studies have provided evidence for gene transfers from prokaryotes to eukaryotes and between eukaryotes. The mechanisms and frequencies of these transfers remain the subject of speculation, but the findings provide ample reason to seriously consider interspecies gene transfer as an important evolutionary process in eukaryotes.

J. MEMMOTT*†, P. G. CRAZE‡, H. M. HARMAN§, P. SYRETT¶ and S. V. FOWLER¶ * School of Biological Sciences, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UG, United Kingdom; † The Leverhulme Unit, NERC Centre for Population Biology, Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL5 7PY; ‡ School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Drake Circus PL4 8AA, UK; § Landcare Research, Private Bag...