Introduction

• Cognition studies traditionally focused on humans and close mammals, leaving out many simpler organisms.
• The slime mould, Physarum polycephalum, is an example of a minimal cognitive system, showing how simple organisms can process information.
• This study looks at how slime mould can help us understand the emergence of cognition and proto-consciousness.
• Physarum polycephalum is a unique organism that uses computational processes to exhibit intelligent behaviors.

Minimal Cognition: The Bottom-up Approach

• Cognition is explored in its simplest form, moving beyond just human or mammal-based approaches to include simpler organisms like slime moulds.
• Slime moulds can perform cognitive tasks through their biological and biophysical mechanisms.
• Minimal cognition in slime moulds refers to their ability to process, store, and act on information without a nervous system.

Defining the Nature of Slime Mould

• Slime moulds exist in three types: acellular, cellular, and unicellular.
• Physarum polycephalum, a plasmodial slime mould, has a complex life cycle, including stages that allow it to demonstrate intelligence in foraging and problem-solving.
• The plasmodium, a multinucleate stage, optimizes its protoplasmic network for nutrient acquisition and efficient movement.

What Does a Slime Mould Know?

• Slime moulds process information based on gradients of attractants and repellents in their environment.
• They make decisions, such as avoiding harmful chemicals or choosing the best nutrient sources.
• Slime moulds don’t react automatically like machines but evaluate their environment and respond intelligently.

Modifiable Stimulus-Response Pathways from an Autopoietic Perspective

• Living systems, like slime moulds, are autonomous and self-regulating.
• They adjust their behavior based on internal regulations and external stimuli.
• Recognition of the environment allows slime moulds to adapt and make decisions, for example, choosing a path that leads to better nutrition.

Significant Regulation

• Slime moulds show regulatory behavior based on environmental stimuli, which they interpret and respond to.
• Electrical activity and the regulation of internal processes like calcium ions contribute to their movement and behavior.

Electrical Activity

• Calcium ions play a crucial role in regulating slime mould’s contractile movements and oscillations.
• This electrical activity is similar to neural processes in animals, though slime moulds lack a nervous system.

Regulatory Subsystems Independent of Metabolic Processes

• Slime moulds can exhibit behaviors like chemotaxis, where they move toward or away from certain chemicals.
• Their internal regulatory systems allow them to make decisions based on these environmental cues, demonstrating a form of cognition.

Minimal Cognitive Principles in Myxomycetes

• Minimal cognition involves basic information processing systems that allow organisms like slime moulds to make decisions based on their environment.
• These principles can be studied across species to understand the evolution of cognitive capabilities in living systems.

Emerging Sources of Cellular Levels of Sentience and Consciousness

• Consciousness may be a basic property inherent in all biological organisms, including slime moulds.
• Ion channels, neurotransmitters, and cellular structures like microtubules in slime moulds contribute to their ability to process information and demonstrate proto-consciousness.

Proto-consciousness and Morgan’s Canon

• Proto-consciousness refers to a basic form of self-awareness and data integration that is not reliant on a nervous system.
• Slime moulds exhibit proto-consciousness through their ability to integrate information and make decisions based on past and present experiences.

The Computing Slime Mould as Kolmogorov-Uspensky Biomachine

• The slime mould can be considered a Kolmogorov-Uspensky machine, using its environment to process information and make decisions based on spatial patterns.
• This shows that slime moulds can compute information without needing a brain or central nervous system.

Slime Mould Complexity and Brainless Information Integration System

• Despite lacking a brain, slime moulds can solve complex problems and make intelligent decisions, such as navigating mazes or optimizing networks.
• This behavior suggests the presence of a proto-consciousness, allowing them to process information and respond appropriately to their environment.

Concluding Remarks

• Slime moulds demonstrate that minimal cognition can arise in simple organisms without a brain or nervous system.
• Through regulatory mechanisms, slime moulds can interpret their environment, make decisions, and adapt in ways that resemble proto-consciousness.
• These findings offer valuable insights into the basic principles of cognition and the emergence of consciousness in living organisms.

观察到的基本机制 (引言)

• 传统的认知研究通常集中在人类和哺乳动物身上，而忽略了许多简单的生物体。
• 这项研究使用了粘菌，Physarum polycephalum，作为了解基本认知和原始意识的重要工具。
• 粘菌通过生物学和生物物理机制展示了智能行为，展示了简单生物体如何处理信息。

最小认知：从底向上的认知方法

• 研究简化版的认知，超越了人类或哺乳动物的范畴，扩展到包括像粘菌这样的简单生物。
• 粘菌可以通过其生物学和生物物理机制执行认知任务。
• 在粘菌中，最小的认知是指它们能够处理、存储并根据没有神经系统的信息做出反应。

定义粘菌的特性

• 粘菌属于多种类型，包括无核、细胞型和单细胞型。
• Physarum polycephalum 是一种有复杂生命周期的粘菌，展现了它在觅食和问题解决中的智能。
• 其“质体”阶段允许粘菌优化其原质网络以获取营养并避免有害的化学物质。

粘菌知道什么？

• 粘菌根据环境中的引诱物和排斥物的梯度来处理信息。
• 它们做出决策，例如避免有害化学物质，或者选择最佳的营养源。
• 粘菌不是自动反应的，而是评估其环境并做出智能的反应。

从自创生的角度来看可调节的刺激-反应路径

• 像粘菌这样的生物系统是自主的，并通过其内部机制自我调节。
• 粘菌根据内部的调节和外部的刺激调整其行为。
• 识别环境使粘菌能够做出决策，例如选择更好的营养源。

重要的调节

• 粘菌展示了基于环境刺激的调节行为，它们通过这些刺激来解释和反应。
• 电活动和如钙离子等内在过程的调节有助于它们的运动和行为。

电活动

• 钙离子在调节粘菌的收缩运动和振荡中起着关键作用。
• 这些电活动与动物中的神经过程类似，尽管粘菌没有神经系统。

独立于代谢过程的调节子系统

• 粘菌能够表现出像趋化性这样的行为，即它们会朝着某些化学物质移动或远离它们。
• 它们的内部调节系统使它们能够根据这些环境线索做出决策，表现出一种认知能力。

最小认知原则

• 最小认知包括基本的信息处理系统，使像粘菌这样的生物能够根据它们的环境做出决策。
• 这些原则可以跨物种进行研究，以理解认知能力如何在生物系统中演化。

细胞和亚细胞水平的意识的出现源

• 意识可能是所有生物体的基本属性，包括粘菌。
• 离子通道、神经递质以及粘菌中的微管等细胞结构为它们处理信息和展示原始意识提供了基础。

原始意识与摩根法则

• 原始意识是指一种基本的自我意识和数据整合能力，不依赖于神经系统。
• 粘菌通过整合信息并根据过去和现在的经验做出决策，表现出了原始意识。

作为Kolmogorov-Uspensky生物机器的计算粘菌

• 粘菌可以被视为Kolmogorov-Uspensky机器，在其环境中使用营养源和引诱物的空间梯度来处理信息并做出决策。
• 这表明粘菌可以在没有大脑或中枢神经系统的情况下计算信息。

粘菌的复杂性与无脑的信息整合系统

• 尽管缺乏大脑，粘菌依然能够解决复杂问题并做出智能决策，如通过迷宫或优化网络。
• 这种行为表明存在原始意识机制，使它们能够处理信息并适应其环境。

总结

• 粘菌展示了在没有大脑或神经系统的情况下如何产生最小认知。
• 通过调节机制，粘菌能够解释其环境，做出决策并适应，类似于原始意识的表现。
• 这些发现为我们提供了对认知基本原则和意识出现的深入理解。