Mosses, often overlooked as simple and unassuming plants, are revealing a surprising complexity. A recent study, led by computer scientist Andy Adamatzky, has uncovered that moss cushions exhibit electrical activity with patterns that resemble neural networks. This discovery not only challenges our understanding of plant biology but also opens up exciting possibilities for biohybrid sensing and unconventional computation.
Adamatzky's fascination with unconventional computing systems, such as slime molds, crowds, and mycelium networks, has now led him to explore the humble moss, Brachythecium rutabulum. His findings suggest that moss cushions behave as spatially distributed excitable systems, capable of coordinating and integrating electrical signals across both space and time. This is particularly intriguing given that mosses lack the vascular systems found in more complex plants, which is why they cannot grow much taller than a few centimeters.
What makes this discovery even more fascinating is the potential for mosses to act as responsive sensory networks or distributed biocomputing substrates. Mosses, with their simple, minute leaves and stems, are capable of transmitting information across the colony by other means. The study revealed a rich repertoire of electrical events, including fast oscillatory spikes, slower rhythmic fluctuations, and very slow depolarization waves. Some of these waves were rapid, while others undulated slowly, and they tended to spread across the entire cushion rather than remaining confined to a particular region.
However, there are limitations to this study. The absence of negative control recordings and the potential for contamination or mixed levels of hydration in naturally collected mosses are factors that need to be addressed in future research. Despite these limitations, the findings are cause for wonder and further exploration. Mosses, with their ability to survive in harsh environments and their surprising complexity, may hold the key to understanding how plants can serve as naturally evolved, energy-efficient living substrates for biohybrid sensing and unconventional computation.
In my opinion, this study highlights the importance of exploring the hidden complexities of nature. Mosses, often overlooked as simple and unassuming plants, are revealing a surprising complexity. This discovery not only challenges our understanding of plant biology but also opens up exciting possibilities for biohybrid sensing and unconventional computation. As we continue to explore the natural world, we may uncover even more surprising insights and applications.
