“Objects within a few millimeters cause the fruiting body of Phycomyces to bend away without ever making contact. Regardless of the object – opaque or transparent, smooth or rough – Phycomyces starts to bend away after about two minutes. Electrostatic fields, humidity, mechanical cues, and temperature have all been ruled out. Some hypothesize that Phycomyces uses a volatile chemical signal that deflects around the obstacle with tiny air currents, but this is far from proven.”
