Officially known as Physarum polycephalum, slime mold is neither plant, animal, nor fungus but a single-celled organism older than dinosaurs. When searching for food, it extends tentacle-like projections in multiple directions simultaneously. It then doubles down on the most efficient paths that lead to food while abandoning less productive routes. This process creates optimized networks that balance efficiency with resilience—a sought-after quality in transportation and infrastructure systems.
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