Information Transfer in Collective Computation by Ants and Slime Molds

Explore the fascinating world of information transfer in collective computation by ants and slime molds in this 53-minute seminar from the Santa Fe Institute. Delve into the extraordinary abilities of living systems to gather, store, and transform information, even in simple unicellular organisms lacking a brain. Discover how Temnothorax rugatulus ants use tandem running behavior to recruit colony members to potential new homes, implementing a regulation of information flow similar to acknowledgement-based flow control in distributed networks. Examine the binary food choices of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum and investigate the transfer of information along single tubules. Gain insights into how living systems harness the power of information to solve complex problems, potentially opening new perspectives on alternative computing approaches and shaping the design of artificial systems.