Jambo, Mr. Nature here–and this is wild: how do you tell whether a living thing is an animal or a plant?
There are more than 900 species of slime molds, they’re found all over–even inside your air conditioner, if the drain gets blocked. They mostly live as single-celled organisms; but when food is scarce, they can clump themselves together and function as a multi-celled organism.
They have neither brains nor nervous systems: nevertheless, slime molds can remember, and some studies suggest they can even learn, modifying their behavior in light of past experience. Yeesh, did I say “experience”? Well, yeah: because that’s apparently what’s going on with them–although just how they do it, no one knows.
Currently biologists have decided that slime molds are not plants but rather a kind of amoeba. The smart kind that remembers things. Go figure.
Just when we think we’ve got Creation figured out, God likes to tantalize us with a mystery like this.
It keeps us on our toes.
Sounds like a good candidate for a horror movie. Well, actually, these days it just sounds like a candidate.
You are on a roll today.
I’m glad scientists have biological life figured out, but I wish I had computers figured out. Since Lee has had some kind of upgrade on his WordPress, I no longer receive comments made in my email? This is an existential bummer. I miss what my brothers and sisters are saying. Any suggestions out there?
I can’t imagine what kind of upgrade I could’ve had that would stop your emails. This has happened to other readers. Help, somebody!
With all mankind has learned, there’s still much left to learn about how life functions and, obviously, how it can remember and learn. Lest we forget, life itself is a miracle and God’s ways are wondrous.