Worm's neurons mapped, simulated in robot

[Deozaan]

Scientists have mapped the neurons of a (biological) worm, simulated it in software, and put it into a robot which now behaves like a worm.

Take the connectome of a worm and transplant it as software in a Lego Mindstorms EV3 robot - what happens next?

It is a deep and long standing philosophical question. Are we just the sum of our neural networks. Of course, if you work in AI you take the answer mostly for granted, but until someone builds a human brain and switches it on we really don't have a concrete example of the principle in action.

The nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) is tiny and only has 302 neurons. These have been completely mapped and the OpenWorm project is working to build a complete simulation of the worm in software. One of the founders of the OpenWorm project, Timothy Busbice, has taken the connectome and implemented an object oriented neuron program.

http://www.i-programmer.info/news/105-artificial-intelligence/7985-a-worms-mind-in-a-lego-body.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWQnzylhgHc

from Twitter

[ewemoa]

Sounds pretty amazing!

[SeraphimLabs]

So they're finally succeeding in something I had tried to do 10 years ago- simulating a neuron map to see if it would imitate the behavior of what it was copied from.

At the time I had no way of obtaining source maps to use, but I was able to create an array of neurons that would interact with each other. Unfortunately there were only two conditions I could recognize- comatose, and seizure.

[MilesAhead]

When reading the subject line my mind expected to see
"Worm's neurons mapped, simulating a politician." 

[cranioscopical]

When reading the subject line my mind expected to see
"Worm's neurons mapped, simulating a politician." 

But… but… politicians move blindly forward whereas even a worm can turn.

[Stoic Joker]

When reading the subject line my mind expected to see
"Worm's neurons mapped, simulating a politician." 

But… but… politicians move blindly forward whereas even a worm can turn.

Yes, I too felt this was unfairly disparaging of worms as well. You never hear of an early bird getting a politician do you? Of course not. Because politicians are far too disgusting for birds to eat - they would probably make the poor birds sick of something.

Now if the scientists can make a robotic staph infection...that might be closer to a fair comparison.

[Deozaan]

When reading the subject line my mind expected to see
"Worm's neurons mapped, simulating a politician." 

But… but… politicians move blindly forward whereas even a worm can turn.

Yes, I too felt this was unfairly disparaging of worms as well. You never hear of an early bird getting a politician do you? Of course not. Because politicians are far too disgusting for birds to eat - they would probably make the poor birds sick of something.

Now if the scientists can make a robotic staph infection...that might be closer to a fair comparison.

Don't hold back. Tell us how you really feel!

[MilesAhead]

When reading the subject line my mind expected to see
"Worm's neurons mapped, simulating a politician." 

But… but… politicians move blindly forward whereas even a worm can turn.

Heh heh.  When I see a slimy politician I feel like slugging him. 

[mouser]

Very cool stuff 

[MilesAhead]

Oh oh.  Maybe Charles Stross isn't so far off.  In Saturn's Children humans map their own neurons to create AI in a race of slave robots.  Then conditioning is applied to make them love to serve their masters.

The original human race, or "Creators" as the robots refer to them, dies out.  Various factions search for some viable DNA material to recreate a docile "Creator" to trigger the slave reflex in rivals etc..

Fun stuff.  Let's see how long it takes them to get from worms to mammals.