Mycelium Shown to Have Decision-Making Skills
As more researchers explore the world of fungi, they are discovering not only new species, but new information about how they live and what they can do.
According to a new study, while mushrooms do not have a brain, they exhibit intelligent behavior: even without eyes, they can recognize shapes.
Researchers at Tohoku University and Nagaoka College conducted a study to measure the decision-making processes in fungi. Yes: mushrooms can make decisions.
“You’d be surprised at just how much fungi are capable of,” stated study lead author Yu Fukasawa of Tohoku University. “They have memories, they learn, and they can make decisions. Quite frankly, the differences in how they solve problems compared to humans is mind-blowing.”
The growth of fungi is unlike any other life form. An adult will release spores into the environment that germinate and begin to form mycelium, characterized as delicate, spidery threads that elongate and a fruiting body will form above the surface or bark.
The unseen mycelium network network shares information similar to neural connections in the brain.
In this study, the researchers looked at a mycelium network in decaying wood, specifically investigating how the mycelial network responded to two different situations: wood blocks placed in a circle versus placed in a cross arrangement.
The scientists knew that if the mushroom didn’t exhibit decision-making skills, its mycelium would just spread out from a central point without consideration for the position of the blocks.
But this didn’t happen. Instead, when the wood was arranged in a circle, the degree of mycelial connection was the same on every block. But the center of the circle remained clear. The researchers believe that the mycelial network decided that there was no benefit in over-extending itself in an already populated area as the mycelium adequately covered the other blocks.
Meanwhile, for the cross arrangement, they found that the degree of mycelial connection was greater in the outermost four blocks. The researchers think that this occurred because the outermost blocks can serve as “outposts” for the mycelial network to embark in foraging expeditions, therefore more dense connections were required.
These findings suggest that the mycelial network was able to communicate information about its surroundings throughout the entire network and change its direction of growth accordingly based on the shape.
Mushrooms, via their mycelia, are smart, growing and thriving with deliberate care.
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