Is Aplysia able to err?

June 6, 2006
From: Diana Winter

Hello.
I am writing a term-paper about "The intentional animal" by J.Proust. She uses an example of Aplysia. There she states that Aplysia has not the sufficient neuronal structure to differentiate its own inner (mental) states from the representation of these states. I read that Aplysia has big neurons and is able to learn in different ways (non-associativley and associatively). I am wondering what the detailed neuronal structure of Aplysia is and if Aplysia would be able to err, so to say to work in a wrong way!? Please help me finding a solution.
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
Diana Winter

University of Osnabrück,
Cognitive Science
Germany

diwinter@uos.de

Winter, D., 2006 (Jun 6) Is Aplysia able to err?. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16789

Dear Diana,
As a Sea Slug enthusiast, my first response would be to say that Sea Hares can do no wrong. It seems to me that your question is a philosophical question, probably not answerable by scientific research. There are two books by Nobel Prize winner Eric Kandel which are the basis of much of our knowledge on the neuronal structure of Aplysia. They are now almost 30 years old, but I don't think the anatomical arangement of ganglia will have changed in that time. Also have a look at my answer to an earlier query [message #9160] which gives links to a couple of excellent sites which should be of use to you.

I must admit that like the humble Sea Hare, I don't think I have 'sufficient neuronal structure' to really understand the long-standing philosophical debate concerning consciousness and intentionality.

  • Kandel, E.R. (1979): Behavioural Biology of Aplysia. San Francisco, W.H.Freeman & Co. 1- 463.
  • Kandel, E.R. (1976): Cellular Basis of Behaviour. An introduction to behavioural neurobiology. W.H. Freeman & Co., San Francisco. 1 - 727.

Good Luck,
Bill Rudman

Rudman, W.B., 2006 (Jun 6). Comment on Is Aplysia able to err? by Diana Winter. [Message in] Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Available from http://www.seaslugforum.net/find/16789

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