Scientists in Japan have discovered that fungi – despite lacking brains – can exhibit remarkable intelligence. According to Interesting technologyThese organisms are able to make decisions, recognize shapes and solve problems.
“You’d be surprised how much fungi can do,” says Yu Fukasawa of Tohoku University. “They have memories, they learn and they can make decisions. Frankly, the differences in the way they solve problems compared to humans are astounding.”
The research focused on wood-degrading fungi, and in particular on how their mycelial networks responded to different spatial arrangements of wooden blocks. Researchers placed the blocks in two configurations: a circle and a cross.
If the fungi did not have the ability to process their environment, they would have grown evenly from the center regardless of the placement of the blocks. However, the researchers observed more complex behavior.
In the cross configuration, the fungi concentrated their growth toward the four outer blocks, a strategy that likely helps them maximize resource collection.
In the circular arrangement, on the other hand, the fungi spread evenly across the blocks, leaving the center unaffected. The scientists speculate that the fungi saw no advantage in concentrating growth on an already populated area, but instead optimized their resources elsewhere.
“In fungi, their ‘intelligence’ appears to be rooted in their ability to process environmental information and make decisions that benefit the organism as a whole,” explains Professor Fukasawa.
Our understanding of fungi remains limited compared to plants and animals, but this study offers a glimpse into their hidden intelligence and how their decision-making affects broader ecosystems.
