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- A mind for math: A part of the brain associated with making memories may also predict success in learning math
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- Flagging loose bolts: “Smart alert washer” automatically flags when a nut is coming loose, warning of potential danger
FOR KIDS: A slime with memory
Even without a brain, this slime mold knows where it’s been
Web edition: October 25, 2012
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A slime mold, like the one shown here, leaves a trail of snotlike goo that can serve as a memory of sorts.
Courtesy of Audrey Dussutour
A slime mold called Physarum polycephalum can crawl from one spot to another. Some people liken its appearance to moving, pulsing dog barf. Others clearly feel more tenderness toward the organism — enough to spend much of their life studying it. One such team of scientists now reports finding that although slime molds lack a brain, this goo may still have a memory of sorts.
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Citations
S. Milius. Pulsing blob makes memories sans brain. Science News, October 9, 2012. [Go to]
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