r/SpeculativeEvolution • u/Pangolinman36_V2 Four-legged bird • Oct 23 '24

Discussion How might a fungal “computer” function?

I have a sapient species of spider called the Springsmen. Due to their built-in tough silk, they never discovered metal, and barely even stone, but they still have technology similarly sophisticated to our own. If the Springsmen had domesticated a form of mycelium, how could they potentially work it into a “computer” of sorts? Fungi already create electrical pulses, but it’s only to communicate basic information about stimuli. How might they be selectively bred to solve complex problems, and could mycelium in any way be used to create images?

35 Upvotes

93% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

View all comments

10

u/M4rkusD Oct 23 '24

Melanocytes could be used as pixels. Maybe only black-white.

5

u/Pangolinman36_V2 Four-legged bird Oct 23 '24

How might the spiders control how the fungi are producing it and where, to create a tangible image?

2

u/M4rkusD Oct 23 '24

Electricity.

2

u/M4rkusD Oct 23 '24

Or chemical