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Are you ready to grow slime mold?

Answer a few quick questions to find out if you have everything you need to start growing Physarum polycephalum at home.

Question 1 / 8

Printable version

This test also comes on paper, with the scoring grid to add up your points, in the slime mold quiz booklet (PDF, 14 pages), handy for a classroom or a family evening.

Every question, with its answer

This test has no right answer: each option matches a different profile.

1 How often are you willing to take care of your slime mold?

Possible answers

  • Every day. I enjoy daily routines.
  • 2 to 3 times a week is manageable.
  • Once a week if I remember.
  • As little as possible. My schedule is packed.
2 How do you react when a living thing you care for behaves unexpectedly?

Possible answers

  • I investigate the cause and adjust conditions.
  • I worry but give it time.
  • I get discouraged fairly quickly.
  • I have never cared for a living organism before.
3 What is the climate like in your home?

Possible answers

  • Stable, between 18 and 24 degrees C year-round.
  • Variable with the seasons, sometimes warm, sometimes cool.
  • Often dry and bright. I love natural light.
  • Frequently above 25 degrees C in summer.
4 What attracts you to the idea of growing slime mold?

Possible answers

  • The science. I want to run experiments.
  • Curiosity. I have never seen one in real life.
  • The idea of having an unusual pet.
  • Not sure. It was an impulse.
5 How comfortable are you with mold or tiny organisms?

Possible answers

  • Very. Microscopic life fascinates me.
  • It does not bother me. It is natural.
  • A little uneasy, but I can learn.
  • Honestly, it grosses me out.
6 Can you remember to moisten a substrate 2 to 3 times a week?

Possible answers

  • Yes. I already care for plants or pets and never forget.
  • Yes, if I set phone reminders.
  • Maybe, but I often travel on weekends.
  • Honestly, I forget small tasks regularly.
7 Do you travel or go away often (more than a week at a time)?

Possible answers

  • Rarely. I am mostly at home.
  • Sometimes, but I know I can put it into sclerotium.
  • Fairly often, several weeks per year.
  • Very often. I am rarely home.
8 What would you do if your slime mold disappeared into a corner of its container?

Possible answers

  • Search methodically and check humidity levels.
  • Look around and wait a few days.
  • Panic a bit but ask for help online.
  • Assume it died and give up.