# Intelligence in slime moulds?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 3, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307 "2008-10-03T13:33:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307/1 "2008-10-03T13:33:36Z")

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[This link](http://www.ams.org/mathmedia/archive/10-2000-media.html#slime) summarizes research showing that slime moulds can find the shortest path through a maze, and thus demonstrate a primitive form of intelligence. I find this interesting, but remain a bit skeptical that it can properly be called intelligent behavior.

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**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307/2 "2008-10-03T14:54:38Z")

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That is not intelligence. It grew everywhere, and survived preferentially in the route which utilized food the most efficiently. If it grew through the maze in the first place in an other than random way, that would be intelligence.

Tris

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**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307/3 "2008-10-03T16:30:31Z")

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I used to work for the government, and several of my co-workers exhibited the same level of intelligence.

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**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307/4 "2008-10-03T16:50:33Z")

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Now I really feel bad about [this](http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/yardschmutz02.jpg). So, that’s slime mold b-r-a-a-a-i-n-s on my toothbrush? This little [fella](http://s302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/yardschmutz04.jpg) looks particularly erudite.

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**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307/5 "2008-10-03T22:51:06Z")

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> [@Triskadecamus](#):
>
> If it grew through the maze in the first place in an other than random way, that would be intelligence.

It has to _find_ the food first, before it can develop the most efficient path that joins them.

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Klutz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captain_klutz/32/4993_2.png) [@Captain\_Klutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Klutz)\
**Post date:** [October 4, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intelligence-in-slime-moulds/466307/6 "2008-10-04T04:26:13Z")

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> [@Grumman](#):
>
> > [@Triskadecamus](#):
> >
> > If it grew through the maze in the first place in an other than random way, that would be intelligence.
> 
> It has to _find_ the food first, before it can develop the most efficient path that joins them.

It didn’t _find_ the food at all: the slime was seeded over the entire surface of the maze, then the food was introduced at 2 corners.