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Japanese scientists discover smart slime
photo by SB Johnny (Wikimedia Commons)
The Green Slime are coming! It sounds like a bad Cold War science fiction movie, but slime is smarter and more cunning than you think.
Scientists in Japan are researching how slime molds navigate in search of food.
Though slime mold has no brain, it shows signs of intelligence and can even navigate itself through a maze by organizing its cells and finding the most direct route to a food source.
From the Telegraph:
Humans are not the only living things with information-processing abilities. Simple creatures can solve certain kinds of difficult puzzles. If you want to spotlight the essence of life or intelligence, it’s easier to use these simple creatures.
–Toshiyuki Nakagaki, Future University Hakodate, Japan
Scientists believe that slime molds may be instrumental in the design of future bio-computers, partly because – like humans – they can solve problems without making calculations.
From AFP:
Slime molds do not have a central nervous system, but they can act as if they have intelligence by using the dynamism of their fluxion, which is quite amazing. To me, slime molds are the window on a small universe.
– Masashi Aono, researcher at Riken, Saitama, Japan
Tags: intelligence, japan, mould, scientists, slime
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Well the Valdez crashed happened 5 years after Ghostbusters was made so yes, I remember both. I was already a budding eco-fascist.
oh my God, you still remember Exxon Valdez? I was only 9 years old when that tragedy happened, Of course I’ve been watching Ghostbusters, It was the coolest , Sci-fi comedy? Sci-fi comedy action? Sci-fi spooky comedy action? what ever!!! at that time….By the way my favorite was ‘stay puff Marshmallow man’ heheheehhhehh he looks so edible…
Are you suggesting Captain Slimer would not have crashed the Exxon Valdez or that we should have ‘slime wars’? You’ve been watching Ghostbusters…
Niceeeeeeeee pretty interesting article. If this slime acquires intelligence and some human capabilities, It might be a better alternative to use in place of humans doing the more dangerous and complicated task…EX. operating the chemical tanker, oil tanker or as a soldier hahahhahahhaa the enemy has no idea he’s shooting a wobbly, flabby, ooey gooey Slimer….