Exploring Physarum for Bio-Inspired Data Visualization in Design Research

[Fabio Tangorra]

Hello everyone,

I’m Fabio, a Master’s student in Communication Design, and I’d like to share a bit about my thesis project with you. My research focuses on a comparative study between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Intelligence (NI), where I’m analyzing five different cognitive processes (such as learning, problem-solving, adaptability, etc.) to understand similarities and differences between the two.

As part of this work, I want to use Physarum polycephalum as a visual metaphor to represent this comparison. My idea is to design a form of data visualization, which means transforming abstract data or concepts into a graphical form that makes them more understandable. But I want to go one step further: creating a bio-based visualization, which means using living or natural processes as the medium itself rather than purely digital graphics.

In this case, Physarum would not only be the metaphor but also the medium: its growth patterns, networks, and decision-making processes could be harnessed to “draw” or “map” aspects of the AI vs. NI comparison.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, or even critical feedback. Have any of you experimented with Physarum in a way that could be connected to communication, design, or visualization? Or do you have ideas on how its natural behavior could inspire new ways of representing information?

Looking forward to exchanging ideas with you!

Fabio