Towards Physarum Binary Adders

Plasmodium of \emph{Physarum polycephalum} is a single cell visible by unaided eye. The plasmodium's foraging behaviour is interpreted in terms of computation. Input data is a configuration of nutrients, result of computation is a network of plasmodium's cytoplasmic tubes spanning sources of nutrients. Tsuda et al (2004) experimentally demonstrated that basic logical gates can be implemented in foraging behaviour of the plasmodium. We simplify the original designs of the gates and show --- in computer models --- that the plasmodium is capable for computation of two-input two-output gate $\to$ and three-input two-output $\to$. We assemble the gates in a binary one-bit adder and demonstrate validity of the design using computer simulation.Comment: Biosystems (2010), in press. Please download final version of the paper from the Publishers's sit

An Arakawa and Gins experimental teaching space : a feasibility study

This essay discusses the benefits of Arakawa and Gins procedural architecture for the development of interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary learning environments. the discussion of how the body is engaged in knoelwdge acquisition leads to a feasibility study undertaken at an Australian University to determine how an experimental, sensory and perceptually-based learning space might be built given the T&L priorties and the fiscal climate in which universitioes curently operat

Psychophysical identity and free energy

An approach to implementing variational Bayesian inference in biological systems is considered, under which the thermodynamic free energy of a system directly encodes its variational free energy. In the case of the brain, this assumption places constraints on the neuronal encoding of generative and recognition densities, in particular requiring a stochastic population code. The resulting relationship between thermodynamic and variational free energies is prefigured in mind-brain identity theses in philosophy and in the Gestalt hypothesis of psychophysical isomorphism.Comment: 22 pages; published as a research article on 8/5/2020 in Journal of the Royal Society Interfac