Friday, September 22, 2017
Not really the same
One life universal that the 1969 analog modelers DIDN'T include was sleep.
Is sleep universal? Much more universal than foraging but I don't think it's 100%. This article on jellyfish seems a bit stretchy to me:
Researchers observed that the rate at which Cassiopea jellyfish pulsed their bell decreased by one-third at night, and the animals were much slower to respond to external stimuli such as food or movement during that time. When deprived of their night-time rest, the jellies were less active the next day. ...When they dropped food in the tank at night, Cassiopea responded to its treat by returning to a daytime pattern of activity.Slower to respond? Not really sleep, just a habitual modulation of activity to fit the presence of food. Saving energy.
Lastly, when the team forced Cassiopea to pull an all-nighter by keeping it awake with repeated pulses of water, they found a 17% drop in activity the following day.Waterboarding! Waterboarding! Where are the Animal Nights Activists when we need them?
Labels: Grand Blueprint
¶ 12:20 PM
