Comments on: “Intelligent” Oil Droplet Solves Maze

By: Suds

Suds — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:48:31 +0000

Wait for a pharmaceutical company patent this then end of mazes for you and me.

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:40:56 +0000

I believe it is called chemotaxis and is used by bacteria to find each other and to find food. (And by sperm). Any gradient (pressure, Ph, temperature) can be a guide or motivator to action. The droplet is not making decisions – however, our own decision making processes at the neuron level are similar, especially regarding neurochemicals and gradients, so maybe there is a parallel…

By: OtherMike

OtherMike — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:04:18 +0000

Nice try, but solving a maze when there is a continuous gradient between oneself and the exit, is very different to solving one without such information, as a rat or a human might do. So the apparent intelligence is down to the set-up not the droplet.

I’m sure there’s the makings of a good trick in that though…

By: Twilord

Twilord — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:20:52 +0000

Science makes no sense what so ever to me, but that is cool.

By: JayKay

JayKay — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:15:17 +0000

“In the movie files you can see the droplet makes decisions,” says Grzybowski. “It goes left along the wrong path, decides there’s something fishy with that and so it reverses. It looks almost alive.”” Mad! What a find though and how fast does it work! I hope this makes a huge difference to the treatment of cancers very soon.

Big Dave says: Well it is a solution… Very funny, Dave!

By: Big Dave

Big Dave — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 13:08:02 +0000

Well it is a solution

By: spiderabc1

spiderabc1 — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:24:51 +0000

I am now thinking of David Bowie in silver tights (Labyrinth). Many thanks clever droplet.

By: Raymond

Raymond — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:05:52 +0000

And I had to code a maze solver for college….
If I only knew it could be done this simple