Slime Mold Grows Network Just Like Tokyo Rail System

Slime Mold Grows Network Just Like Tokyo Rail System

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Talented and dedicated engineers spent countless hours designing Japan’s rail system to be one of the world’s most efficient. Could have just asked a slime mold.

sciencenewsWhen presented with oat flakes arranged in the pattern of Japanese cities around Tokyo, brainless, single-celled slime molds construct networks of nutrient-channeling tubes that are strikingly similar to the layout of the Japanese rail system, researchers from Japan and England report Jan. 22 in Science.

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[edit on 28-1-2010 by HunkaHunka]

This is great. I'm a huge proponent of studying emergent systems in order to leverage natural principles to design complex systems.

Lots of incredibly smart people don't believe we could actually engineer artificial intelligence, but I believe we could however leverage emergent systems to generate artificial intelligence.





www.wired.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 28-1-2010 by HunkaHunka]

Hey! You took my thread!!

Slime mold

While it is indeed true that the thread is on the same topic, ATS has a policy that allows two threads on the same topic if one is in Breaking Alternative News and the other is in its' topical forum.

As such, this thread will remain open...

Wow, cool. Possibly they develop the nutrient tubes in the most efficient manner much like the Japanese developed their transport system.

reply to post by WhatAmI


I think that was the point.
Pretty fascinating, but not unexpected, actually.

Nature always finds a way of taking the "path of least resistence."

Watch Bear Grylls, he will tell you always, that if you are to make it in the wild, you will have to follow the animals, or the river, and that they always follow the path of least resistance.

This may mean challenges to you physically, but it is the best way.
This is no different, IMO.

And yeah, we often underestimate the simplistic brilliance of nature. We should study it more.

How does it go? When man leaves nature, he becomes indifferent to it. Therefore, he will become indifferent to all but himself?
Something like that.

Originally posted by HunkaHunka

This is great. I'm a huge proponent of studying emergent systems in order to leverage natural principles to design complex systems.

Lots of incredibly smart people don't believe we could actually engineer artificial intelligence, but I believe we could however leverage emergent systems to generate artificial intelligence.





www.wired.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 28-1-2010 by HunkaHunka]

It seems obvious to me and has for many years that the path to Artificial Intelligence can only be through biology. Our most efficient technologies always rely upon replication of natural systems.

The monumental complexity and connectivity required to initiate conciousness will be through the mimicry of the neural topology we already have at our disposal.

Stating that if the material scientists and system engineers ever get conciousness out of quantum computing I'll look really stupid I admit, however computing will always be singular in its dimensions unless it can be grown or engineered piecemeal by nano-technology.

I think.. somehow.. maybe

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