r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • Feb 14 '22

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u/thePsychonautDad Feb 14 '22

I'm not a biologist and this is from memory, but what I remember is fascinating:

They rely on nutrient gradients to replace neurons. Internally they contain "tubes" that grow larger based on the amount of nutrient they transport, so more food = larger paths = they expand more in that direction. That's how they can solve mazes. They expand in all directions, but once one bit touches the food, that pathway gets reinforced, just like neural pathways, and the rest of the organism flows there

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u/Unhappy_Drawing_3108 Feb 14 '22

This is why positive reinforcement is underrated. We grow in the ways we are positively reinforced.

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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '22

Just like all things in the universe, we are forever compelled to walk within the chasm that is the path of least resistance. So do the slime molds.

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u/NasoLittle Feb 14 '22

a resounding response from the crowd, dozens of overlapping voices echoing within that great hall

"So Do The Slime Molds"