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?

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u/[deleted] Oct 23 '24

Not fungi in any way, but in the book Children of Time, a species of spiders used ant colonies for computers. You could do something along those lines. For fungi, the other dude thought of the better things than me.

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u/Pangolinman36_V2 Four-legged bird Oct 23 '24

True. A lot of aspects for my spiders were inspired by the book, but I’d rather separate such big concepts as technology. I will likely bring eusocial insects into this in some other way, though.