But by sacrificing himself to ward off other amorous males (even when his mate is nothing but a dead mealworm), he certainly makes sure that it is his best shot.

ECONOMIST: Why self-sacrifice makes perfect sense for spiders

Mr Jarquin is now Mr Ortega's running-mate, even though in the 1980s he was also jailed by the Sandinists.

ECONOMIST: Could the Sandinist leader return to the presidency?

Not long ago, finding a mate, or even a like-minded group of friends, was something that definitely happened in the "real" physical world.

FORBES: Reshaping Reality