OpenWorm – Create a virtual C. elegans nematode

http://www.openworm.org/index.html

by emgeee • 11 years ago

51 12 11 years ago

rndn• 11 years ago

I find it interesting and also sobering that the connectome of the C. elegans is known since 1986 but it's still far from obvious what to do with it.

simcop23872• 11 years ago

That's starting to be figured out finally. They've identified the motor neurons and some of the ones involved with touch so that a simulated worm can actually navigate around. I find it incredible though all this is done with as few neurons as it has (302). I've got everything downloaded and have been wanting to play with it in a simulation of some kind.

sanxiyn3• 11 years ago

C. elegans neurons are non-spiking, making them more like analog circuits than digital circuits. In comparison, all mammalian brains use spiking neurons.

joe_the_user• 11 years ago

Indeed,

The question I'd have is whether the connection-set or "connectome" is sufficient to actually describe the behavior of the organism. As far as I know, a CS "neural network" is by no means equivalent in behavior to the neurons in a brain, even if each have the same connection topology/graph.

As far as I can tell, some group of neurologists have decided the best way to go is to toss topologies and rough simulations to CS and open source people 'cause neurologists don't do really complex systems. But it seems like that still doesn't solve the "this model is wildly unrealistic" problem

sanxiyn3• 11 years ago

Blue Brain Project is working on Channelpedia, a collection of biologically accurate models of neurons. They check all models against real neurons.

http://channelpedia.epfl.ch/

sanxiyn3• 11 years ago

I backed an OpenWorm Kickstarter campaign to earn a bragging right, so let me brag. :)

Seo Sanghyeon at http://www.openworm.org/supporters.html

ohquu• 11 years ago

http://www.openworm.org/science.html

s/pealing/peeling

cr4zy• 11 years ago

Also check out this embodiment

http://www.i-programmer.info/news/105-artificial-intelligenc...

And some implementation details

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8745639

_root• 11 years ago

I am one of the scientists who contributed to OpenWorm with C.elegans behavioural data. We have launched an online repository of actual experiments for anyone to download and continue our research: http://wormbehavior.mrc-lmb.cam.ac.uk/

Original paper: http://www.nature.com/nmeth/journal/v10/n9/full/nmeth.2560.h...

OpenWorm – Create a virtual C. elegans nematode

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