Brainless Slime Molds Show Learning and Memory, Challenging Intelligence Boundaries

anilkseth · x · 2026-07-30

Neuroscientist Anil Seth highlights a recent BBC Radio 4 podcast episode Brainless and a deep profile of biologist Michael Levin in NYMag.

The focus is on non-traditional cognition and biological intelligence: exploring how single-celled slime molds demonstrate the remarkable abilities to learn, solve problems, and remember without a brain or nervous system. Research by scholars like Michael Levin challenges the traditional understanding that intelligence requires a brain, offering a new perspective on the boundaries of life and cognition.

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