Logic in the Soil
Andrew Adamatzky and colleagues have demonstrated that fungal networks can implement a "wide range of Boolean circuits." These are not metaphors. The mycelium physically acts as the logic gate. When stimulated by electrical or environmental signals, excitation waves propagate through the hyphal network.
The interactions of these waves—where they collide, amplify, or cancel each other out—allow for the construction of AND, OR, and NOT gates. This means a petri dish of *Pleurotus djamor* (Pink Oyster) can, in a very literal sense, perform calculations.
Efficiency Over Speed
Fungal computers are not fast compared to modern silicon processors. Signal propagation is measured in seconds or minutes, not nanoseconds. However, they are incredibly energy efficient.
A mycelial network processes information through millions of simultaneous low-power connections, achieving complex parallel processing with minute energy inputs. For tasks where speed is secondary to energy efficiency and adaptation—such as long-term environmental monitoring—Fungal Computing offers a sustainable alternative to silicon.