Slime Mould and Philosophy

Matthew Sims (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

$34.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Cambridge University Press
16 January 2025

Philosophy of science; Ecological science, the Biosphere; Molecular biology; Microbiology (non-medical); Botany & plant sciences

Series: Elements in the Philosophy of Biology

Physarum polycephalum, also known more colloquially as 'the blob', 'acellular slime mould', or just 'slime mould', is a unicellular multinucleate protist that has continued to attract the interest of biologists over the past century because of its complex life cycle, unique physiology, morphology, and behaviour. More recently, attention has shifted to Physarum as a model organism for investigating putative cognitive capacities such as decision making, learning, and memory in organisms without nervous systems. The aim of this Element is to illustrate how Physarum can be used as a valuable tool for approaching various topics in the philosophy of biology. Physarum and its behaviour not only pose a challenge to some of the received views of biological processes but also, I shall argue, provide an opportunity to clarify and appropriately sharpen the concepts underlying such received views.

By: Matthew Sims (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781009488617
ISBN 10: 1009488619
Series: Elements in the Philosophy of Biology
Pages: 92
Publication Date: 16 January 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1 Introduction; 2. Niche construction and complex life cycles; 3. On the biotic status of spores; 4. Biological individuals: a puzzle concerning plasmodial fragmenting and fusing; 5. Externalised spatial memory?; 6. Conclusion; References.