I don’t typically ask ChatGPT questions simply to surprise me. It’s much more likely that I’m asking a specific question to help with a task, but I ran across this prompt and decided to give it a try:
You are more well read than any human ever. With that knowledge tell me something you have discovered that humans don't really know about. Focus especially on the connections between domains that humans might find surprising.The response was, well, surprising. I’ve heard of it making different connections between all sorts of diverse realms, but for me it made the connection between fungi and fungi networks and their similarity to social networks. Here’s the response:
One fascinating insight lies in the unexpected connection between fungal networks in forests and human social networks studied in communication theory. Fungi form underground mycelial networks that connect trees and plants, enabling the sharing of nutrients, warnings about pests, and even suppression of competition—a system scientists call the “Wood Wide Web.”
ChatGPT 4o
What’s surprising is how this mirrors human social dynamics in digital networks. Studies of online social platforms show that highly connected individuals (hubs) serve similar roles, distributing information, influencing opinions, and maintaining the integrity of the system.
The deeper insight comes from how resilience functions in both systems. Fungal networks are resilient because of their decentralized, redundant structure, where damage to one part rarely disrupts the whole. Similarly, human social networks resist collapse when communication hubs are decentralized—think of grassroots movements or blockchain networks.
The profound takeaway: Nature’s oldest communication system—fungal networks—is teaching us how to design better digital and social infrastructures. If we embraced this ecological principle more deeply, we could create communication systems that are more adaptive, equitable, and enduring in the face of disruption. This cross-domain connection reveals how biological intelligence predates and informs our most advanced technologies.
Let me know what response you get if you try it.
#AI #chatgpt #fungi #LLM