The book explores the innovative use of actin, a key component of the cytoskeleton, as a platform for information processing. It presents a comprehensive theoretical and modeling framework that aims to pave the way for experimental prototyping of actin-based computers in laboratory environments, highlighting the potential of biological materials in computational applications.
This illustrated volume simplifies complex topics like cellular automata, unconventional computing, gliders, solitons, and non-linear dynamics, making them accessible to readers without specialist training. It explores the significance of these subjects in contemporary discussions, highlighting their relevance and intriguing nature.
Exploring the intersection of art and science, this collection showcases artworks derived from experiments with the single-cell organism Physarum polycephalum, known as slime mould. The organism's ability to compute by optimizing its shape and responding to stimuli reveals a unique form of intelligence, challenging traditional notions of cognition. Through these creations, viewers gain insight into the slime mould's environmental interactions, highlighting that intelligence can exist without a brain.