Inanimate Life

Inanimate Life PDF Author: George M. Briggs
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781942341826
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description


Where the Slime Mould Creeps

Where the Slime Mould Creeps PDF Author: Sarah Lloyd
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780646868912
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This densely-packed book introduces the fascinating world of myxomycetes, the acellular slime moulds. It describes their intriguing life cycle and important ecological roles as decomposers, nutrient recyclers and food for numerous invertebrates. And it reveals their exquisite evocative forms through microscope and camera, along with time lapse images that capture the dramatic changes in colour and shape as the fruiting bodies mature.The past ten years has seen a burgeoning interest in slime moulds by photographers, students and enthusiasts who are captivated by their singular beauty. This popular and informative book-now in its fourth edition-is an aid to their identification, an illustrated glossary, and an account of a passion for slime moulds that has led to the discovery of a wealth of species inhabiting a tall wet eucalypt forest in central north Tasmania.

Slime Mould in Arts and Architecture

Slime Mould in Arts and Architecture PDF Author: Andrew Adamatzky
Publisher: Biomedical Engineering
ISBN: 9788770220729
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Presents a set of unique chapters written by leading artists, architects and scientists, which resulted from creative translations of the slime mould behaviour into forms and sounds, unconventional investigations and sensorial experiences and the slime mould ability to remove boundaries between living and artificial, solid & fluid, science & arts

Secretive Slime Moulds

Secretive Slime Moulds PDF Author: Steven Stephenson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781486314133
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Since their discovery, the taxonomy and systematics of Australia's myxomycetes, an important yet cryptic group of microorganisms, not been published in Australia in a comprehensive manner, until now. Myxomycetes are now considered to be profoundly different from the 'true' fungi and recent publications place them within their own group. Slime Moulds: Myxomycetes of Australia is a synthesis of knowledge that provides a broad scale overview of virtually all of the approximately 340 currently described species of Australia's myxomycetes, including their life cycle, morphological features, distribution, ecology and history of research. Individual chapters provide dichotomous keys, descriptions, illustrations and photos for numerous taxa.

Physarum Machines

Physarum Machines PDF Author: Andrew Adamatzky
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814327581
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Book Description
A Physarum machine is a programmable amorphous biological computer experimentally implemented in the vegetative state of true slime mould Physarum polycephalum. It comprises an amorphous yellowish mass with networks of protoplasmic veins, programmed by spatial configurations of attracting and repelling gradients. This book demonstrates how to create experimental Physarum machines for computational geometry and optimization, distributed manipulation and transportation, and general-purpose computation. Being very cheap to make and easy to maintain, the machine also functions on a wide range of substrates and in a broad scope of environmental conditions. As such a Physarum machine is a 'green' and environmentally friendly unconventional computer. The book is readily accessible to a nonprofessional reader, and is a priceless source of experimental tips and inventive theoretical ideas for anyone who is inspired by novel and emerging non-silicon computers and robots. An account on Physarum Machines can be viewed at http: //www.youtube.com/user/PhysarumMachines.

The Silence of Slime Mould

The Silence of Slime Mould PDF Author: Andrew Adamatzky
Publisher: Luniver Press
ISBN: 1905986432
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 66

Book Description
The art works are the outcomes of scientific experiments that aimed to design computing devices made from slime mould. Slime mould Physarum polycephalum is a single-cell organism visible by the unaided eye. The slime mould computes by optimising its shape, electrical activity or location in response to stimulations. This fascinating mix of art and science offers an awe-inspiring look at the ways in which slime mould explores its environment and performs computation. Art works allow us to see the world through the "eyes" of the slime mould and show that the absence of a brain does not exclude an amorphous living creature from intelligence.

Biodiversity of Fungi

Biodiversity of Fungi PDF Author: Mercedes S. Foster
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0080470262
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 797

Book Description
Biodiversity of Fungi is essential for anyone collecting and/or monitoring any fungi. Fascinating and beautiful, fungi are vital components of nearly all ecosystems and impact human health and our economy in a myriad of ways. Standardized methods for documenting diversity and distribution have been lacking. A wealth of information, especially regrading sampling protocols, compiled by an international team of fungal biologists, make Biodiversity of Fungi an incredible and fundamental resource for the study of organismal biodiversity. Chapters cover everything from what is a fungus, to maintaining and organizing a permanent study collection with associated databases; from protocols for sampling slime molds to insect associated fungi; from fungi growing on and in animals and plants to mushrooms and truffles. The chapters are arranged both ecologically and by sampling method rather than by taxonomic group for ease of use. The information presented here is intended for everyone interested in fungi, anyone who needs tools to study them in nature including naturalists, land managers, ecologists, mycologists, and even citizen scientists and sophiscated amateurs. - Covers all groups of fungi - from molds to mushrooms, even slime molds - Describes sampling protocols for many groups of fungi - Arranged by sampling method and ecology to coincide with users needs - Beautifully illustrated to document the range of fungi treated and techniques discussed - Natural history data are provided for each group of fungi to enable users to modify suggested protocols to meet their needs

Myxomycetes

Myxomycetes PDF Author: Steven L. Stephenson
Publisher: Timber Press
ISBN: 9780881924398
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description
This book identifies all the species one is likely to encounter, with extensive information on their structural features, distribution, and ecological associations. Superbly illustrated, including keys, it is an introduction to their biology as well as a field guide. This book is only available through print on demand. All interior art is black and white.

Protists and Fungi

Protists and Fungi PDF Author: Gareth Editorial Staff
Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing LLLP
ISBN: 9780836833713
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 36

Book Description
Explores the appearance, characteristics, and behavior of protists and fungi, lifeforms which are neither plants nor animals, using specific examples such as algae, mold, and mushrooms.

Advances in Physarum Machines

Advances in Physarum Machines PDF Author: Andrew Adamatzky
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319266624
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 830

Book Description
This book is devoted to Slime mould Physarum polycephalum, which is a large single cell capable for distributed sensing, concurrent information processing, parallel computation and decentralized actuation. The ease of culturing and experimenting with Physarum makes this slime mould an ideal substrate for real-world implementations of unconventional sensing and computing devices The book is a treatise of theoretical and experimental laboratory studies on sensing and computing properties of slime mould, and on the development of mathematical and logical theories of Physarum behavior. It is shown how to make logical gates and circuits, electronic devices (memristors, diodes, transistors, wires, chemical and tactile sensors) with the slime mould. The book demonstrates how to modify properties of Physarum computing circuits with functional nano-particles and polymers, to interface the slime mould with field-programmable arrays, and to use Physarum as a controller of microbial fuel cells. A unique multi-agent model of slime is shown to serve well as a software slime mould capable for solving problems of computational geometry and graph optimization. The multiagent model is complemented by cellular automata models with parallel accelerations. Presented mathematical models inspired by Physarum include non-quantum implementation of Shor's factorization, structural learning, computation of shortest path tree on dynamic graphs, supply chain network design, p-adic computing and syllogistic reasoning. The book is a unique composition of vibrant and lavishly illustrated essays which will inspire scientists, engineers and artists to exploit natural phenomena in designs of future and emergent computing and sensing devices. It is a 'bible' of experimental computing with spatially extended living substrates, it spanstopics from biology of slime mould, to bio-sensing, to unconventional computing devices and robotics, non-classical logics and music and arts.