{
  "id": 6268896,
  "title": "‘This is dangerous’: slime moulds and the bitter debate over the nature of intelligence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/08/this-is-dangerous-slime-moulds-and-the-bitter-debate-over-the-nature",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-08T04:00:27.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Science",
    "slug": "guardian-science",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/sep/08/this-is-dangerous-slime-moulds-and-the-bitter-debate-over-the-nature-of-intelligence"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A debate is raging among scientists over whether simple organisms should be considered \"intelligent\". The outcome of this controversy could alter our understanding of the natural world and our own place within it. Four decades ago, Toshiyuki Nakagaki, an undergraduate in Hokkaido, discovered a yellow substance in a petri dish. This discovery ignited a storm of biological and philosophical discussions about the nature of life and intelligence.\n\nBefore Nakagaki's discovery, slime moulds were considered \"simple\". Descriptions referred to them as \"the most simple of organisms\". It was difficult to argue against this characterization. Nakagaki, upon first observing the slime mould, was struck by its speed. Physarum polycephalum, the specific species in his petri dish, can move at a top speed of 1cm per hour. This is considered an impressive speed for an amoebic organism.\n\nAt first glance, Physarum appears to move randomly, similar to ink spreading on blotting paper. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that it is guided by its meals of bacteria or other microbes. It extends a long, thin finger of protoplasm to digest its food and then forages further or pulls back into the rest of the mould. Watching a slime mould over many days reveals a sense of deliberation.\n\nThe implications of this debate extend beyond biology. It challenges our understanding of intelligence and raises questions about the nature of life and our own place within the natural world.",
  "summary": "Scientists are battling over whether supposedly simple organisms should be considered ‘intelligent’. The outcome could reshape our understanding of the natural world – and our own place within it Forty years ago, as an undergraduate in Hokkaido, Toshiyuki Nakagaki came upon a lemon-yellow stain in a petri dish. That encounter turned him into a doyen of slime mould research – and fed a storm of…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}