Abstract
dc:description.abstractThis dissertation explores the slime mold Physarum polycephalum as a model organism for studying cognition beyond the brain. Traditionally, psychology and neuroscience have tied cognitive abilities to nervous systems, but increasing evidence from aneural organisms suggests that cognition may be a broader, substrate-independent property of life. Physarum polycephalum, a macroscopic unicellular amoeba, demonstrates striking adaptive behaviors such as spatial problem-solving, anticipation, habituation, and decision-making despite lacking neurons. Physarum is explored as a possible model organism for comparative psychology by integrating theoretical foundations of aneural cognition with new empirical findings. After reviewing the history of cognition research and discussing biological mechanisms that could underlie memory and information processing in slime molds, five publications are presented. The first provides a comprehensive literature review linking Physarum’s distributed information processing and bioelectrical properties to potential applications in artificial intelligence and unconventional computing. The second revisits claims of lateralized movement, revealing that while Physarum does not display inherent chirality, stimuli such as vibration and magnetic fields can induce it. Building on this, the third study identifies vibrotaxis potentially linked to ecological cues like rainfall. The fourth applies the classic test for Spontaneous Alternation Behavior, demonstrating that Physarum possesses transient spatial memory. The fifth tests for associative learning by pairing neutral and aversive stimuli with nutrition, showing preliminary evidence that Physarum can learn by association. Together, these findings broaden the scope of cognition research, showing that complex adaptive behavior can emerge in organisms without neurons. By combining psychological methodology with a unicellular organism, the work offers insights into the origins of learning and memory, and providing inspiration for bioinspired artificial intelligence. The dissertation concludes with a call for standardization in Physarum research and outlines future directions.
Degree
thesis:*- Level thesis:degree_level
- thesis.doctoral
- Grantor dc:publisher
- Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel
- Year
- 2026
Author and committee
dc:creator, dc:contributor.*- Author dc:creator
-
- Freiberg, Jannes
- Contributors dc:contributor
-
- Kaernbach, Christian
- Lerche, Veronika
- Schröger, Erich
Subjects
dc:subject × 5Identifiers
dc:identifier.*- Repository record source_url
- https://macau.uni-kiel.de/receive/macau_mods_00008856