Researchers show that an iron bar is capable of decision-making

(Phys.org)--Decision-making--the ability to choose one path out of several options--is generally considered a cognitive ability possessed by biological systems, but not by physical objects. Now in a new study, researchers have shown that any rigid physical (i.e., non-living) object, such as an iron bar, is capable of decision-making by gaining information from its surroundings accompanied by physical fluctuations.