TY - JOUR
T1 - On coupled oscillator dynamics and incident behaviour patterns in slime mould Physarum polycephalum
T2 - emergence of wave packets, global streaming clock frequencies and anticipation of periodic stimuli
AU - Mayne, Richard
AU - Jones, Jeff
AU - Gale, Ella
AU - Adamatzky, Andrew
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Slime mould Physarum polycephalum is a single cell which physically oscillates via contraction of actomyosin in order to achieve motility. Several of its apparently ‘intelligent’ behaviour patterns such as anticipatory responses to periodic stimuli have recently been attributed as functions of the coupling between the oscillating intracellular reactions which drive its rhythmic muscular contraction, but the mechanisms that underlie these phenomena have not yet been experimentally verified. Through laboratory investigations in which we entrain the P. polycephalum plasmodium via periodic ultraviolet light exposure we find that this phenomenon is likely to result from biasing its various oscillating life processes through altering local concentration profiles of various allosteric molecules and their effectors. This temporarily overwrites the global streaming clock frequency and eradicates the wave packets usually observed in slime mould biomechanical oscillation. This response is likened to an intracellular chemical memory. We proceed to present a multi-agent model in which we demonstrate that travelling waves and oscillatory clock frequencies may emerge in the virtual organism’s biomechanical oscillator, although anticipatory responses cannot be replicated by simple mechanical interactions. We conclude by arguing that these phenomena are best characterised as analogue computation and discuss practical applications therein.
AB - Slime mould Physarum polycephalum is a single cell which physically oscillates via contraction of actomyosin in order to achieve motility. Several of its apparently ‘intelligent’ behaviour patterns such as anticipatory responses to periodic stimuli have recently been attributed as functions of the coupling between the oscillating intracellular reactions which drive its rhythmic muscular contraction, but the mechanisms that underlie these phenomena have not yet been experimentally verified. Through laboratory investigations in which we entrain the P. polycephalum plasmodium via periodic ultraviolet light exposure we find that this phenomenon is likely to result from biasing its various oscillating life processes through altering local concentration profiles of various allosteric molecules and their effectors. This temporarily overwrites the global streaming clock frequency and eradicates the wave packets usually observed in slime mould biomechanical oscillation. This response is likened to an intracellular chemical memory. We proceed to present a multi-agent model in which we demonstrate that travelling waves and oscillatory clock frequencies may emerge in the virtual organism’s biomechanical oscillator, although anticipatory responses cannot be replicated by simple mechanical interactions. We conclude by arguing that these phenomena are best characterised as analogue computation and discuss practical applications therein.
KW - anticipation
KW - emergent behaviour
KW - multi-agent model
KW - Physarum polycephalum
KW - ultraviolet light
KW - unconventional computing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84961393871&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17445760.2016.1156108
U2 - 10.1080/17445760.2016.1156108
DO - 10.1080/17445760.2016.1156108
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84961393871
SN - 1744-5760
VL - 32
SP - 95
EP - 118
JO - International Journal of Parallel, Emergent and Distributed Systems
JF - International Journal of Parallel, Emergent and Distributed Systems
IS - 1
ER -