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Brainless Slime Molds Navigate Mazes and Make Decisions

Can a slime mold find food placed at the far end of a labyrinth?

Aired 09/16/2020

NOVA

Brainless Slime Molds Navigate Mazes and Make Decisions

Clip: Season 47 Episode 12 | 2m 46sVideo has Closed Captions

Can a slime mold find food placed at the far end of a labyrinth?

Meet the charismatic slime mold Physarum—which can learn, make decisions, and go through mazes without a brain—and the researchers studying it.

Aired 09/16/2020

National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

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Carlisle

The Great Australian Slime Mold Bakeoff

Video has Closed Captions

The purpose of this experiment was to see how Physarum regulates its nutritional needs. (3m)

Secret Mind of Slime Preview

Video has Closed Captions

Meet slime molds: the brainless blobs that can learn, make decisions, and navigate mazes. (27s)

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National Corporate funding for NOVA is provided by Carlisle Companies. Major funding for NOVA is provided by the NOVA Science Trust, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS viewers.

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