Comments on: Brainless slime mould makes decisions like humans

By: Jess xxx

Jess xxx — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 10:24:38 +0000

Respect for the slime!

By: Berber Anna

Berber Anna — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 11:49:22 +0000

emergint: When they added another option (a ‘cheaper’ one, in this case, unlike in the example with the wine) to two other options (an ‘expensive’ one, that offered high nutrition at higher risk, and a ‘cheaper’ one that offered lower nutrition at no risk), the cheaper one suddenly became ‘middle ground’ (as the other option was similar, but lower-nutrition). This made the mold choose that one more often, even though the risk and nutritional value of this middle option remained the same.
It’s apparently fairly universal for living organisms to select the ‘middle ground’ when offered three options to compare, whereas two options make for different selection criteria.

By: emergint

emergint — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 19:50:56 +0000

interesting but how is the way the mold chooses its food like the human choosing the middle of three options?

By: Berber Anna

Berber Anna — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:10:03 +0000

sabermarris, it’s just an example. They could’ve used any situation that involves 3 options with one being the middle ground, such as the 3 sizes most fast food restaurants use for their drinks and chips. They happened to use the wine one. If you look beyond that, it’s really a fairly fascinating mechanism that they describe.

By: roz

roz — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 17:53:17 +0000

how’d you get that photo of my old boss?

By: sabermarris

sabermarris — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 16:16:56 +0000

if someone can afford to go to a restuarant they can easily afford a 25 pound bottle of wine but to some people 25 pounds is a weeks shopping

By: magnets

magnets — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:57:47 +0000

@Daniel Robinson: hahaha

By: Daniel Robinson

Daniel Robinson — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 10:29:25 +0000

I saw the title of this on Twitter, and assumed it was something to do with our Prime Minister