They discover a new ability of seabes that stuns scientists stunned

At first glance, sea sponges don't look like very interesting animals. In fact, many are surprised when they discover that these are animals and not some type of oceanic plant. Despite their peculiar appearance and apparent lack of movement, sponges are a surprising species. Recently, a peculiar skill of seabes that has surprised philosophers and scientists equally came to light.

These animals that seem boring have made theorists question the meaning of consciousness and identity. The capabilities of sea sponges have generated a whole series of questions such as: Is there really a "me"? Today we are the same person as yesterday? Will we continue to be like this tomorrow?

Content

• Sea sponges
• The peculiar ability of sea sponges and their scientific implications
• The Paradox of Consciousness
• The illusion of "I"
  • References

Sea sponges

Sea sponges are a edge of animals found in the parazoa sub -sub -, where we find very primitive animal species. They are also known by the name of porifers or simply as sponges. It is estimated that there are about nine thousand species of sponges around the world. It is also said that they were the first animal form to develop from the common ancestor of all animals. Therefore, the study of sponges is very interesting for scientists.

Before, it was believed that sea sponges were plants until 1765 when water currents were checked inside. If we had to define sponges in a nutshell, we could say that they are tube -shaped animals. Although, it is important to clarify that sponges can have very varied bodies. In fact, there are species that change their structure completely depending on the land where they are or the available food.

Following this line, sponges do not have a nervous system, nor organs or tissues. For that reason, the peculiar ability of sea sponges is even more surprising for scholars. It seems that these animals, despite lacking those things, retain a certain sense of their own identity. It even gives the impression that they can learn and remember events such as other animals.

The peculiar ability of sea sponges and their scientific implications

Marina Sally Leys biologist explains a curious experiment that shows us the impressive ability of sponges. What is done is to take a blue sponge and a red sponge, and they are going through a very small mesh. Consequently, both animals disintegrate in a dough of violet cells that are suspended in the water. Anyone would think that animals died after being subjected to that pressure, but something surprising happens.

In ideal conditions, and after about 10 days, the cell mass begins to connect and classify each other. Once this time passes, the result is a red sponge and another blue color. According to the expert, thanks to the peculiar ability of sea sponges, these can be distinguished from each other and reconfigure in their original form. This gives us the impression that these animals can differentiate their "me" from other living beings.

In fact, the most impressive thing about this experiment is revealed when we analyze the genetic material of the sponge. In doing so, we realize that it has the same genetic code of the sponge that disintegrated. So, we could say that it is the same living being, true? Well, for philosophers, it is here when we enter an uncertain field.

The Paradox of Consciousness

A frequent question about this experiment is as follows: is the sponge that was regenerated is the same as the original or is a clone? There are those who consider that everything depends on whether they retain the personality and memories they had before. While sponges do not have a brain or nervous system, it seems that they do keep memories according to some experiments. It even seems that each one has its own temperament.

Now, do these attributes retain after disintegrating and regenerating? According to Leys, the species with which they have work present characteristics learned. But how many times is it possible to disintegrate and regenerate a living being without losing its "essence"? It is there where problematic issues begin to be raised regarding consciousness and "me".

The illusion of "I"

For years, thinkers ask about consciousness and identity. In this sense, some came to consider that the "I" is nothing more than a simple illusion. For example, psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan defined an "imaginary I gave the individual a meaning of his own body image.

A very frequent paradox to address this issue is the teleportation paradox. When we think about teleportation, we imagine a machine that creates a perfect map of all our cells and atoms. Then, the same device disintegrates us and sends all the particles that compose us to another place, where it would reorganize us just as before. If that happened, would you continue to be yourself? Or that you who arrives would be just someone very similar to you?

Did you really move from one place to another or the machine kills you and creates a clone of you? After all, I would keep your memories and all the things that are part of your identity would be there. However, it seems that, in reality, the "I" is nothing more than an illusion and this can be analyzed with the dream.

When we sleep, we fall into a state of unconsciousness and our body activates a series of mechanisms to repair. For example, synaptic pruning occurs in the brain that eliminates certain neuronal connections.

In this way, when you wake up, your brain does not have the same configuration as before sleeping. If so, could you say that you are the same person? The truth is that there is no way to know. The peculiar ability of sponges leads us to ask ourselves questions about things we take for granted. But, at the same time, it does not seem that we can answer them soon.

References

• Popper, k. R. (1985). he I and your brain.
• Rödl, s., & Sebastian, R. (2007). Self-Conscionness. Harvard University Press.
• Image: https: // www.Dkfindout.com/us/animals-And-nature/invertebrates/sponges/