Caging the Blob: Studying Slime Mold Behavior

Get a firsthand glimpse of the intelligent behavior and survival tactics of living organisms using the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. Students will use Lego blocks to construct mazes and then observe the movement of the slime mold as it navigates through the maze to a food source, while responding to the barrier in its environment. In an additional lab experience, students test the effectiveness of a unique static, invisible or dynamic barrier of their own experimental design.