For many of us, mushrooms are merely peculiar forest growths, and fungi might seem like something that belongs in a dish with cream. However, scientists are increasingly revealing that fungi are far more sophisticated than we once believed.
Some claim fungi are “intelligent,” hinting at a select group of researchers who might possess consciousness.
This theory has stirred up controversy among experts, yet the rest of us are curious whether our breakfast ingredients think about us. What should we take away from such findings?
For ages, biologists have debated animal consciousness in species like fish and bats. Now, even brainless entities like plants, slime molds, and fungi are entering the discussion.
There’s likely more to mushrooms than just their appearance. Cecelia Stokes, a doctoral researcher in bacteria at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, clarifies this.
Underneath the soil, mushrooms connect with thread-like filaments known as mycelium or “hyphae,” which extend through the earth to find food and companions. The visible mushrooms are merely the reproductive organs of the fungi.
“[Fungi have] Stokes stated:
While it remains uncertain if such behaviors signify intelligence, she suggests that, since this concept has been linked to non-living entities like artificial intelligence, it may be “worth considering” a broader interpretation of intelligence.
A New Perspective on Fungi
Fungi have gained recognition, with research suggesting that their mycelium forms a “Wood Wide Web,” connecting trees within forests through nutrient-seeking networks.
They’ve also gained popularity as harbingers of the Zombie Apocalypse in popular video games and HBO series like Our Last.
Recent studies indicate that fungi can perform actions usually associated with humans and other animals, such as learning, memory, and decision-making.
Fukusaki and his team from Tohoku University in Japan noted this behavior while “feeding” the wood-decomposing fungus, Fanerochetevertina, with wood blocks in the dirt.
In a 2020 study, Fukusaki and his colleagues observed that the fungi “decided” on certain wood blocks over others, even “remembering” their growth direction after being relocated.
According to Fukusaki, these actions reflect intellectual behavior. “Of course, it’s not the same system as a brain,” he clarifies, explaining that the fungi’s “remembering” likely involves growing more towards the area where food was first located.
“However, I believe you could argue this is a form of memory within the mycelium system—a sort of structural memory.”
Slime molds, too, display memory-like behaviors, navigating away from previously explored zones during their food searches.
Last year, Fukusaki’s team conducted another experiment to see if fungi could “recognize” shapes.
Using nine blocks arranged in either a cross or circle in the soil, they monitored the fungi’s growth from the center outward. In the cross formation, the fungi ultimately left the central block to reach the outer blocks.
Fukusaki notes that while this could be a natural response to depleting central resources, he still regards it as “very intelligent.” The fungi’s ability to distinguish between the center and edges implies they recognize spatial orientation.
In their published work, researchers label this behavior as a form of “pattern recognition,” commonly used in computing to identify specific data combinations, but also applicable to how individuals recognize faces and sounds.
In the case of the circle formation, the fungi vacated the center, indicating they “determined” that enough food was already available, sharing this information throughout their network.
Given these findings, Fukusaki believes we gain a broader understanding of intelligence by viewing it on a spectrum. “This way, we can discuss intelligence in a wider context and compare ourselves to different life forms,” he states.
“If we define intelligence solely by human standards, we cannot effectively discuss its evolution.”
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Extending Our Understanding
Studies like Fukusaki’s inspire new ways to ponder fungal consciousness, such as the “Fungal Heart,” a concept introduced by fungal biologist Dr. Nicholas Money.
He presented the argument in an essay for Psyche magazine in 2021, suggesting that fungi could possess consciousness if we broaden our understanding of what consciousness entails.
In his paper, Money asserts that “this broadens the identification of different forms of consciousness across species, ranging from apes to amoebae.”
Other primitive mind theories consider the notion of a “liquid brain,” explaining how slime molds and various microbial consortia process information without traditional neurons.
Furthermore, electrical signals detected in fungi are likened to those found in animal neurons, leading some to question if fungi possess a brainless nervous system, a topic also raised in discussions about plants.
However, for Fukusaki, the consciousness of fungi is less critical. “For me, it’s insignificant whether fungi are conscious; what’s essential is that they exhibit intellectual behaviors and can solve their problems,” he explains.
Stokes, on the other hand, finds the concept of consciousness too malleable. She acknowledges that fungi could fit into the same category as humans and other animals and could seem more relatable, yet she asserts that science “hasn’t kept pace with the complexity of the findings.”
By drawing such comparisons, she warns, “we overlook many of the unique biological features that set them apart from us.”
Theory Versus Evidence
Humans have a tendency to draw parallels; thus, what about claims regarding a brainless nervous system? According to Stokes, it’s no surprise that fungi and plants can detect electrical signals.
“Every cell generates energy through the movement of ions across membranes,” she explains. Mobile ions (charged atoms or molecules) are crucial for how cells function to produce energy.
However, while it’s easy to dismiss the theories surrounding fungal intelligence and consciousness as eccentric, it’s important to explore what drives these ideas.
Often, the urge to humanize organisms that seem unfamiliar to us serves to make them more relatable. Attribute human characteristics to species can, at times, sway public sentiment towards their protection.
Nonetheless, when it comes to the Wood Wide Web, some scientists argue that the theory has been overstated. The belief that trees communicate through fungal networks is often stated as fact despite the thin evidence supporting it.
Similarly, defining fungi as conscious under current frameworks might be premature and could potentially hinder conservation efforts. Conversely, altering the definition opens up too broad an interpretation. But, why does that matter?
“You don’t need to attribute human traits to recognize how fascinating fungi are,” asserts Stokes, whose research specializes in toxic “deathcap” mushrooms.
About Our Experts
Cecelia Stokes is a doctoral researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the U.S., known for her contributions to scientific journals including New Botanist.
Fukusaki is an associate professor specializing in forest microbial ecology at Tohoku University in Japan. His research has been published in journals such as An Interdisciplinary Journal of Microbial Ecology, Fungal Ecology, and Forest Ecology and Management.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
