Using time-lapse footage of slowly growing slime mold from Nick Lariontsev, YouTube user Transcend Rules has pieced together this entertaining take on the Game of Thrones introduction, complete with the theme.
What are slime molds?
Aptly named due to their gooey appearance, slime molds are single-celled organisms that feed on the microorganisms found in dead plant material. With over 900 known species found across the globe, you can usually find slime mold in soil and anywhere there is vegetation in abundant supply. Here’s where things get interesting…
When food is scarce, slime molds are able to band together into a single cluster, like some sort of gooey Voltron. Together they will seek out the path of least resistance towards new food sources, able to think and problem solve in a single hive-mind. Their ability to efficiently carve out pathways between food sources has caught the attention of scientists, and they have used the mold’s talent to map out road networks through the United States, and recreate ancient Roman supply chains.
And now, of course, they’ve been used to recreate the opening to Game of Thrones.