Stay Curious

SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AND UNLOCK ONE MORE ARTICLE FOR FREE.

Sign Up

VIEW OUR Privacy Policy


Discover Magazine Logo

WANT MORE? KEEP READING FOR AS LOW AS $1.99!

Subscribe

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

FIND MY SUBSCRIPTION
Advertisement

NCBI ROFL: Shocking study finds it's hard to learn without a brain.

Discover the limits of learning in paramecium through cathode shock reinforcement in recent experiments.

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news

Sign Up

"Previous research into the possibility of learning in paramecium in this laboratory has shown that these organisms can learn to remain in a specific location based on cathode shock reinforcement. The present experiment was designed to assess whether paramecium could learn a discrete action as opposed to remaining in a specific area, using cathode shock as a reinforcer. Results for a sample of 40 indicate that such learning did not take place. It is possible that the learning of discrete actions requires a nervous system." xxxxxxx Just for fun - an awesome movie of paramecium: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fh_yjLppNAg&feature=related

Unsuccessful reinforcement of a discrete action in paramecia, P. caudatum.

Photo: flickr/redfoxinict

Related content: Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Don't blame necrophiliacs–they're just devolving into amoebae.

Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Wham, bam, thank you ma’am: an evolutionary perspective.

Discoblog: NCBI ROFL: Bonus double feature: pigeons vs. grad students, it's a tie!

WTF is NCBI ROFL? Read our ...

Stay Curious

JoinOur List

Sign up for our weekly science updates

View our Privacy Policy

SubscribeTo The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Subscribe
Advertisement

0 Free Articles