Propelled By Fear

Irrational exuberance clearly energizes and so apparently does fear as demonstrated by the slime-bot.

The Physarum polycephalum slime, which naturally shies away from light, controls the robot's movement so that it too keeps out of light and seeks out dark places in which to hide itself.

Reading this article reminded me of an Alistair McLean book I had read eons ago - Fear Is The Key. I must have made a subliminal association between fear, key and resulting action. I can't remember anything about the story after all these years.

There is coiled power in fear and it does produce extreme and largely destructive behavior. The mechanics of the slime-bot makes me wonder if fear in humans can likewise be harnessed to some productive end.

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