Naturebang

Slime Mould and Problem Solving


Listen Later

Becky Ripley and Emily Knight celebrate the intelligence of a brainless slime mould. As single-cell protists, with no brain and no nervous system, slime moulds do not 'think' in human terms, but they can calculate and navigate complex systems with incredible efficiency and objectivity. With some help from a few oat flakes, because slime mould loves oats.

One species in particular, Physarum Polycephalum, has proven itself to outwit us time and time again, from solving complex urban transport problems to mapping the structures of the cosmic web. In doing so, it totally overthrows our human definition of intelligence, where we have positioned ourselves at the top of a big biological hierarchy. From the bottom up, slime mould is starting to uproot the whole system.

Featuring Merlin Sheldrake, writer of 'Entangled Life', and experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

NaturebangBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

10 ratings


More shows like Naturebang

View all
More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

891 Listeners

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 by BBC Radio 4

Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4

2,107 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,071 Listeners

No Such Thing As A Fish by No Such Thing As A Fish

No Such Thing As A Fish

4,868 Listeners

Comedy of the Week by BBC Radio 4

Comedy of the Week

482 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

404 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

816 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

229 Listeners

CrowdScience by BBC World Service

CrowdScience

479 Listeners

Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

Evil Genius with Russell Kane

369 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

123 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,224 Listeners

The world, the universe and us by New Scientist

The world, the universe and us

115 Listeners

The Rest Is Entertainment by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Entertainment

873 Listeners

Rare Earth by BBC Radio 4

Rare Earth

14 Listeners