A slime mold is most similar to a a. plant b. animal c. fungus
One interesting thing slime molds can do is a. convert light into nutrients b. camouflage with their surroundings c. store and communicate memories
When put in a maze modelled after Tokyo, the slime mold a. got lost because it had no memory of the space b. began to consume the walls of the maze c. recreated the Tokyo railway system
Discussion/essay questions
Slime molds are an example of an organism that shows intelligence without a brain. This has caused some scientists to rethink the definition of “intelligent life.” How would you define intelligence? Do you think we underestimate plants and fungi?
Transcript
A slime mold is a type of organism similar to a fungus. Slime molds grow in damp, dark environments. There are over 900 species. For a long time, scientists did not know how to classify slime molds. They behave like plants, animals, and bacteria in different ways. Slime molds are interesting because they can join together to form networks of cells. These networks can store and communicate memories. Slime molds are also very good at navigation. They use spatial memory to find the shortest path to their destination. In fact, in 2010, a group of researchers put a slime mold in a maze modelled after Tokyo. The researchers placed food at major hubs. The slime mold chose a path almost identical to Tokyo’s railway system. Since this test, scientists have experimented with using slime molds to optimize human transportation.
Most dogs are enough to understand some important commands from their owners. They may even know the names of a few different toys, or recognize when their owners are offering them . However, a border collie named Chaser is known as the world’s smartest dog. Throughout Chaser’s life, a psychologist named Dr. Pilley trained her every day to recognize the names of her toys. Eventually, she proved that she could understand the of over 1,000 distinct words. She could even recognize if a word was unfamiliar, and use that information to identify toys she’d never seen before. Her ability to learn and language seemed unique, but researchers involved in Chaser’s insisted that any dog could be taught the same thing. Chaser died in 2019 at 15 years old, but her life helped scientists learn more about how dogs think.
Comprehension questions
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Discussion/essay questions
Do you have a pet? If so, how do you train your pet to follow commands?
Do you agree that all dogs are capable of learning language just like Chaser? Why or why not?
Transcript
Most dogs are intelligent enough to understand some important commands from their owners. They may even know the names of a few different toys, or recognize when their owners are offering them treats. However, a border collie named Chaser is known as the world’s smartest dog. Throughout Chaser’s life, a psychologist named Dr. Pilley trained her every day to recognize the names of her toys. Eventually, she proved that she could understand the meanings of over 1,000 distinct words. She could even recognize if a word was unfamiliar, and use that information to identify toys she’d never seen before. Her ability to learn and understand language seemed unique, but researchers involved in Chaser’s training insisted that any dog could be taught the same thing. Chaser died in 2019 at 15 years old, but her life helped scientists learn more about how dogs think.
Dolphins are sometimes kept in aquariums or zoos and taught tricks for human entertainment. This is a controversial topic because many people believe that dolphins and other animals belong in the wild. How do you feel about this?
Transcript
Dolphins are adorable, friendly, and playful creatures. They’re also some of the most intelligent animals in the world. They have very large brains compared to most animals. The dolphin is also one member of a small group of species that can recognize their reflections in a mirror. This shows that dolphins have self-awareness, which is a trait associated with intelligence. Dolphins also communicate with each other using whistles. They seem to use this type of communication to solve problems, which might mean that they have their own language. Dolphins even have individual names. Every dolphin has a “signature whistle” that it can use to introduce itself. Humans are still trying to understand dolphins, but if they really do have their own language, we may be able to communicate with them one day.
