Physarum Sonification

This simulation is based on a digital implementation of the biological Physarum (acellular slime mold). Pixel brightness values control the volumes of an array of individually tempered oscillators. Parameters of the simulation are tweaked continuously to alter the behaviour of the network. Made with p5js & tonejs Physarum first grows as single-celled amoebae, but the amoebae fuse, and the organism loses its ‘cellular’ makeup. As the organism continues to grow, nuclei divide without cell division. The resulting bag of nuclei is called a ‘coenocyte’ or ‘plasmodium’. It is covered in a layer of glycoprotein gel, giving it a slimy appearance. The plasmodium forms a tubular network, and as it moves, the network is reshaped and adapted to the environmental stimuli the tubes encounter. Cytoplasm streams through the network, and the streams periodically change direction. Slime molds are typically found in moist forest environments and probably feed on microbes growing in leaf litter, bark, mushrooms