For many people, smartphones, smart watches and fitness bracelets have long become an integral part of life. However, when they fail or simply get old, their owners throw them away and buy new ones. This leads to an increase of 40 million tons per year in the level of electronic waste. And so scientists Jasmine Lu and Pedro Lopez from the University of Chicago came up with an original solution and literally brought the device to life.

And it’s not a metaphor. They developed a smartwatch with the slime Physarum polycephalum inside. It is a unique creature that can be considered an evolutionary alien, as it lies between the plant and animal kingdom. At the same time, the mucous membrane can conduct electricity and remember information, although it does not have a nervous system. However, it is the time when its first feature is used.

The device has a heart rate sensor, but this function depends on the health of the mucous membranes. If fed regularly with water and oats, this will stimulate growth of the organism which will close the circuit and then be able to transmit heart rate sensor readings. If you do not feed the slime, it will hibernate for a long time – months or even years.

After the assembly of the clock, the researches began. Five participants used the device for two weeks. In the first week users tended and fed the slime, and in the second week they stopped doing so at the request of the scientists.

Apparently, users have developed a fondness for the watch and slime, some even perceiving it as a pet. The emotional bond turned out to be stronger than a similar attachment to a virtual pet like the Tamagotchi. This research can lay the groundwork for the creation of new mucus-based technologies, as well as foster the development of mutually beneficial solutions.