Modeling the Universe with Slime Mold
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A new study examining the growth of slime mold could help astronomers understand the development of galaxies in the cosmic web.
Slime mold has a surprising resemblance to groups of galaxies, a new study reveals. By studying the way these primitive lifeforms grow, researchers hope to better understand how and why galaxies form into massive strands that stretch across the Cosmos, forming the largest structures in the Universe.
The single-celled Physarum polycephalum builds complex networks of filaments in its search for food. In doing so, this simple lifeform creates highly-efficient pathways connecting different locations. Like this variety of slime mold, galaxies also formed within thin ribbons millions of light years long, connected by deposits of gasses. The networks completed by galaxies and the primitive organisms have more than a passing resemblance to each other.
On March 31, I will interview Dr. Joe Burchett of The University of California, Santa Cruz, lead researcher on this study, on the Astronomy News with the Cosmic Companion podcast.
Tie a Yellow Ribbon ‘Round the Old Oak Tree
The first realization that galaxies coalesced into ribbons (commonly known as the cosmic web) came in 1985, as part of the Redshift Survey conducted at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Over the last 35 years, additional mapping has shown that these filaments exist at the boundaries between vast voids throughout the Cosmos.
However, the gasses connecting the galaxies within these filaments is exceedingly thin, making observation of these ribbons throughout the Cosmos difficult. Researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz examined the growth of P. polycephalum in an effort to map galaxies, and find the hidden gas.
This slime mold at the center of this study is typically found on rotting logs and on decaying leaves, and can also form yellow patches on lawns. However, this primitive lifeform is also capable of forming highly-efficient networks. in one experiment, researchers put food in positions based on the major cities of Japan…
