Fungi Exhibit Signs of Intelligence in Groundbreaking Study

Researchers from Tohoku University and Nagaoka College have unveiled surprising cognitive abilities in fungi, challenging traditional views of intelligence, SciTech Daily revealed yesterday.

Their study reveals that fungi, despite lacking brains, demonstrate memory, learning, and decision-making skills.

The research focused on how a wood-decaying mycelial network responded to two arrangements of wood blocks: a circle and a cross. In the cross setup, fungi formed denser connections at the outermost blocks, suggesting strategic growth for foraging expeditions. Conversely, in the circular arrangement, connections were uniform, with the center remaining clear, indicating a calculated approach to resource allocation.

These findings imply that the mycelial network can communicate information about its environment and adapt growth patterns accordingly. This study enhances our understanding of fungal ecology and offers insights into the evolution of cognition in non-brain organisms. The results were published in the journal Fungal Ecology.