Towards fungal computer. Issue 6 (19th October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Adamatzky, Andrew
• Is Part Of: Interface focus. Volume 8:Issue 6(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-10-19
• Subjects: natural computation -- fungi -- unconventional computing; Physical sciences -- Periodicals; Life sciences -- Periodicals; 500
• DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2018.0029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2042-8898

Abstract

Abstract : We propose that fungi Basidiomycetes can be used as computing devices: information is represented by spikes of electrical activity, a computation is implemented in a mycelium network and an interface is realized via fruit bodies. In a series of scoping experiments, we demonstrate that electrical activity recorded on fruits might act as a reliable indicator of the fungi's response to thermal and chemical stimulation. A stimulation of a fruit is reflected in changes of electrical activity of other fruits of a cluster, i.e. there is distant information transfer between fungal fruit bodies. In an automaton model of a fungal computer, we show how to implement computation with fungi and demonstrate that a structure of logical functions computed is determined by mycelium geometry.