The Slime Minder

Scheduled in Block 1

Synopsis:

If you’re aiming to glean insights on how animals retain and use knowledge, you might think staring at a pulsating yellow splat on a dead log isn’t very productive. These are slime molds, often avoided amorphous, brainless blobs. The single-celled organisms that ooze around forest detritus lack a nervous system—and don’t even have a centralized brain! Yet, for biologist Audrey Dussutour, researching primitive slimes has led to surprising discoveries about the evolution of learning and collective behavior that she’s been pondering her whole life. Dussutour and her team at Toulouse University have tracked slime molds with the unblinking eyes of timelapse cameras, helping them make mind-boggling discoveries. Dussutour has shown that slime molds can learn and store “memories” for long periods of time, and even share them with other slime molds. “We are just pushing the boundaries,” she says. “Perhaps a cell itself can be a cognitive organism.”

Director Bio:

Katie is a filmmaker whose work combines stunning macro cinematography with personal stories of people living and working alongside nature. She particularly loves reptiles and amphibians. As well as producing, shooting and editing her documentaries, she is also an illustrator and animator. She has worked with National Geographic, Science Friday, the BBC, bioGraphic and more, and has received accolades from Jackson Wild, the National Geographic Short Film Showcase and the Science Media Awards.