The Slime Mould Collective

An international network of/for intelligent organisms

AndyGadget
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Enteridium lycoperdon or giant zit?

Started this discussion. Last reply by ian Jun 17, 2023. 3 Replies

I found this on a dead and dry rotting beech trunk.  Approx 5 x 4cm with a thin membrane and filled with what looks like a translucent milky fluid, dry and squidgy to the touch; just like a giant…Continue

Daywalker on the prowl.

Started this discussion. Last reply by AndyGadget Jan 3, 2023. 2 Replies

I've not done anything with slime moulds for a while but today decided to take Daywalker out for a run in a simulated wild environment.  This is the starting point; a supermarket mushroom container…Continue

JPG to Video Software.

Started this discussion. Last reply by Brian Tomlinson Jan 18, 2022. 4 Replies

Can anyone recommend a *FREE* Windows program for converting a set of .JPG images from a time lapse sequence into a video format, preferable GUI rather than command line (a la ffmpeg) orientated.Continue

Effect of temperature on slime mould growth.

Started this discussion. Last reply by AndyGadget Oct 15, 2021. 2 Replies

I haven't started growing a slime mould yet but I was wondering if anyone has studied the effect of temperature on physarum polycephalum. I've seen temperatures of 20 and 25 degrees C as normal…Continue

 

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Latest Activity

ian replied to AndyGadget's discussion Enteridium lycoperdon or giant zit?
"Bark off the same tree needs to be in the medium. I got some going last year, I'm setting up another go to see if it will make sclerotia"
Jun 17, 2023
AndyGadget replied to AndyGadget's discussion Enteridium lycoperdon or giant zit?
"Thanks Ian.  I went back a few days later and the skin had gone and there was just a trace of brown spores down the trunk of the tree.  I tried to culture the spores but with no success. I've just seen an alternative name for it;…"
Jun 15, 2023
ian replied to AndyGadget's discussion Enteridium lycoperdon or giant zit?
"Looks like it to me - there was a flush of them round here, Someone should try frying one up and find out if the stories are true.."
Jun 15, 2023
AndyGadget posted a discussion

Enteridium lycoperdon or giant zit?

I found this on a dead and dry rotting beech trunk.  Approx 5 x 4cm with a thin membrane and filled with what looks like a translucent milky fluid, dry and squidgy to the touch; just like a giant zit.  False puffball (Enteridium lycoperdon) which a bit of googling says is a slime mould has been suggested.  Would the experts here agree with that?  See More
May 22, 2023
AndyGadget replied to AndyGadget's discussion Daywalker on the prowl.
"Hairy fungi took over and it all went a bit rancid.  Not a great success."
Jan 3, 2023
Patrick Barry replied to AndyGadget's discussion Daywalker on the prowl.
"what happened?"
Jan 3, 2023
AndyGadget replied to crypticgimmick's discussion Hello! And some beginner questions
"I can't put my finger on it at the moment (might have been a Youtube video), but somewhere there is an analysis and reviews of the type of microscopes that Ian mentions with recommended models.  It pointed out that most of the…"
Oct 8, 2022
AndyGadget posted a discussion

Daywalker on the prowl.

I've not done anything with slime moulds for a while but today decided to take Daywalker out for a run in a simulated wild environment.  This is the starting point; a supermarket mushroom container with various woodland goodies, rotting pear and apple with fungus, compost and a squirt of fermenting seaweed-based fertiliser.  There's a pinch of oats in there with the spores to give Daywalker a good breakfast when it wakes up, and the container will be covered with clingfilm to retain moisture…See More
Sep 21, 2022
Kenneth Ramos commented on AndyGadget's blog post Can Physarum polycephalum detect a magnetic field?
"Try using a dry cell and two electrodes one (+) the other (-) of course and place them at opposite sides of the petri dish.  Attach the battery or dry cell and observe what happens.  A single AA battery should suffice, if not try a D…"
Jun 8, 2022
AndyGadget liked ian's discussion Genesis of the mutants - or shuffle my base pairs please!
Feb 9, 2022
Brian Tomlinson replied to AndyGadget's discussion JPG to Video Software.
"DaVinci is good and free. Import a folder of stills and it will convert to video automatically. Lots of bells and whistles to play with afterwards if you want them... https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/products/davinciresolve/"
Jan 18, 2022
superuser commented on AndyGadget's blog post Template for 85mm Petri Dish.
"Nice! Thanks :)"
Dec 6, 2021
ian commented on AndyGadget's blog post Maizie V Larry
"My money's on the slime, they're quite partial to lichen"
Nov 23, 2021
AndyGadget posted a blog post

Maizie V Larry

This week's bout features Maizie the Physarum polycephalum against Larry the Lichen (heritage unknown).  Larry is the heavyweight and the younger of the two at a mere 250 million years but it's thought the agility and experience of Maizie (600 million years) will win through.  This could turn nasty.    Ding ding!See More
Nov 17, 2021
AndyGadget replied to superuser's discussion New to slime moulds -- How many times can I grow a dish out and inoculate other dish with part of the original mould? Endlessly?
"I've just recently found that my Physarum polycephalum prefers muesli oats to the porridge oats I was feeding it.  It would also enclose a piece of crystallised ginger (also from the muesli) but suprisingly, not interested in a bit of…"
Nov 17, 2021
ian commented on AndyGadget's blog post Can Physarum polycephalum detect a magnetic field?
"There's a paper that claims they can just sense it natively, I don't buy it either - I've also tried, they don't even react to hard drive magnets directly under the dish.  Some organisms do sense magnetic fields though - my…"
Nov 15, 2021

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Name
Andy Stansfield
What is your interest in slime moulds? (we need to know you're not a bot or spamster)
I've always been an avid nature watcher with a particular interest in the weirder side of things and was just reminded recently of slime moulds (which out-weirds most things) by a TV documentary; The Blob - A Genius Without a Brain. I've recently retired so have more time to pursue my enthusiasms and have a few ideas on amateur level research so would like to join the group to give and receive feedback.

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Maizie V Larry

Posted on November 17, 2021 at 17:00 1 Comment

This week's bout features Maizie the Physarum polycephalum against Larry the Lichen (heritage unknown).  Larry is the heavyweight and the younger of the two at a mere 250 million years but it's thought the agility and experience of Maizie (600 million years) will win through.  This could turn nasty.    

Ding ding!…

Continue

Can Physarum polycephalum detect a magnetic field?

Posted on November 15, 2021 at 10:46 2 Comments

There is a paper detailing how a slime mould can be guided by loading it with ferromagnetic particles and steering it with magnets, but I was wondering whether an un-modified physarum could detect a magnetic field.

I ran a set of 4 time-lapses using a strong magnet (top of picture) and starting conditions as shown in the photo so heading towards the pole would give it a guaranteed food reward.  I would expect the slime to preferentially set off towards the pole if it 'learned' that…

Continue

Another time lapse brewing.

Posted on November 1, 2021 at 22:28 0 Comments

Just starting off another time lapse.

I mentioned before that the Physarum seemed to take a long time to get going on the art paper substrate I was using.  It did speed up after a bit and I was wondering if it had begun to disregard an unpleasant substance in the paper.  The experiment I've just started is to see if this may be the case.

Slime mould A is from the previous run on the art paper.

Slime mould B has only been exposed to clean kitchen tissue.…

Continue

Maizie's Travels.

Posted on November 1, 2021 at 16:00 0 Comments

This is my Physarum Polycephalum exploring its Petri dish over the space of 3 days.  One second of video time equals 30 minutes of real time.

Maizie's Travels.

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