Fruit Flies

[DaleCooper]

Where am I going to get banana proof paper on a bank holiday weekend?

Have you tried this shop?

 

[Cowley]

Is that near you? I'll head there now and catch it before it closes.

 

[Cowley]

It was closed.

 

[DaleCooper]

It was closed.

That which is closed will one day be open. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

 

[Cowley]

That which is closed will one day be open. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Even on a bank holiday? If I'd have known I would have gone up yesterday and started panic buying.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Where am I going to get banana proof paper on a bank holiday weekend? I'll try and stun it instead. I've put vinegar and wine in it for the moment.

Edit - I just nearly caught this cat while I was writing this.

You let the banana escape too (unless the cat ate it).

 

[Cowley]

You let the banana escape too (unless the cat ate it).

I know. It's just all a massive mess and I haven't even caught one fruit fly in my trap yet.
I thought I had but I got the jar out of the recycling and I think there was already a dead one in there.

 

[GusB]

Did you catch any catflies?

 

[Cowley]

Did you catch any catflies?

No but I have caught three fruit flies and there's one on the wrong side of the funnel considering his options.

 

[DaleCooper]

No but I have caught three fruit flies and there's one on the wrong side of the funnel considering his options.

Did you remember to write "FOOD" and draw a downward pointing arrow on the funnel?

 

[DynamicSpirit]

That which is closed will one day be open. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

In the interests of accuracy, I should perhaps point out that I cannot recall any such quote from Thomas Aquinas, and a
quick search doesn't find it.

By the way this post is made in the spirit of this quote:

“The study of truth requires a considerable effort - which is why few are willing to undertake it out of love of knowledge - despite the fact that God has implanted a natural appetite for such knowledge in the minds of men.”

 

[Cowley]

Did you remember to write "FOOD" and draw a downward pointing arrow on the funnel?

I think this should help.

 

[DaleCooper]

In the interests of accuracy, I should perhaps point out that I cannot recall any such quote from Thomas Aquinas, and a
quick search doesn't find it.

That is very easily explained by anyone with an in-depth knowledge of medieval philosophy - I made it up. You'll find that is a recurring feature of my posts.

 

[Cowley]

That is very easily explained by anyone with an in-depth knowledge of medieval philosophy - I made it up. You'll find that is a recurring feature of my posts.

But the fruit fly trap works. You can't have made that up.

 

[DaleCooper]

But the fruit fly trap works. You can't have made that up.

Did I mention it was invented by Leonardo da Vinci?

 

[Cowley]

Did I mention it was invented by Leonardo da Vinci?

Well I did think it looked like one of his drawings.

 

[DaleCooper]

The fruit fly saga continues...

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000443

Order in Spontaneous Behavior

Abstract

Brains are usually described as input/output systems: they transform sensory input into motor output. However, the motor output of brains (behavior) is notoriously variable, even under identical sensory conditions. The question of whether this behavioral variability merely reflects residual deviations due to extrinsic random noise in such otherwise deterministic systems or an intrinsic, adaptive indeterminacy trait is central for the basic understanding of brain function. Instead of random noise, we find a fractal order (resembling Lévy flights) in the temporal structure of spontaneous flight maneuvers in tethered Drosophila fruit flies. Lévy-like probabilistic behavior patterns are evolutionarily conserved, suggesting a general neural mechanism underlying spontaneous behavior. Drosophila can produce these patterns endogenously, without any external cues. The fly's behavior is controlled by brain circuits which operate as a nonlinear system with unstable dynamics far from equilibrium. These findings suggest that both general models of brain function and autonomous agents ought to include biologically relevant nonlinear, endogenous behavior-initiating mechanisms if they strive to realistically simulate biological brains or out-compete other agents.

...and there's more, watch this space.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

The fruit fly saga continues...

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000443

...and there's more, watch this space.

Dale, I think you missed out the juiciest, most exciting bit, of that paper, which surely has to be this:

(Warning: After clicking on the image, you'll never think of fruit flies in the same way again)

 

[DaleCooper]

Dale, I think you missed out the juiciest, most exciting bit, of that paper, which surely has to be this:

(Warning: After clicking on the image, you'll never think of fruit flies in the same way again)

I assumed everyone would be familiar with that equation.

 

[Cowley]

I assumed everyone would be familiar with that equation.

Well I certainly was. Although I prefer the complicated one that I'm not going to bore everyone with now as I'm sure we all know it.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Well I certainly was. Although I prefer the complicated one that I'm not going to bore everyone with now as I'm sure we all know it.

I'm sure I do know it and will recognize it, but I'm not sure I can place exactly which of the more complicated fruit fly equations you're referring to. Perhaps if you could quote it in full, that would jog my memory?

 

[Cowley]

I'm sure I do know it and will recognize it, but I'm not sure I can place exactly which of the more complicated fruit fly equations you're referring to. Perhaps if you could quote it in full, that would jog my memory?

Look I'll come clean here, I'm a bit embarrassed about the exam results that I got 28 years ago and I was just trying to bluff it with the whole equation thing.
I don't really know the complicated one, in fact I don't even know how to spell complyicayted properly and I think I've just let myself and everyone else down.
I'm sorry (crying face).

 

[Cowley]

Hopefully moving away from maths. I've now caught 8 fruit flies in the patented Da Vinci/Da Cooper Quasi Equational Occasional Fly Trap.
There's also another inside waiting to plunge in, as well as a fly type thing that's halfway between a fruit fly and a normal fly, I don't know what he's done wrong to be honest but things are looking pretty bleak for him right now.
I've read him the last rites.

 

[najaB]

Hopefully moving away from maths. I've now caught 8 fruit flies in the patented Da Vinci/Da Cooper Quasi Equational Occasional Fly Trap.

Now them thar's some numbers you can be proud of!

 

[DaleCooper]

Look I'll come clean here, I'm a bit embarrassed about the exam results that I got 28 years ago and I was just trying to bluff it with the whole equation thing.
I don't really know the complicated one, in fact I don't even know how to spell complyicayted properly and I think I've just let myself and everyone else down.
I'm sorry (crying face).

That would be easier to understand if you put it in algebraic form.

Perhaps you'd be happier with a more visual presentation.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/the-crazy-device-that-shows-fruit-flies-have-free-will-1459261376

The crazy device that shows fruit flies have free will.

Do we have free will? If we don't, we're one step down the metaphysical ladder from fruit flies. Yes, people have determined that fruit flies have free will. And yes, the experimental fly chamber they created to find this out is really freaking weird.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Fruit flies have free will? Err... is that dangerous or only if they live in a communist country?



By the way... that's a hoverfly in the image, not a fruit fly.

 

[Cowley]

Fruit flies have free will? Err... is that dangerous or only if they live in a communist country?



By the way... that's a hoverfly in the image, not a fruit fly.

I'll admit that I don't always understand the maths Peter (I don't even know if I should actually call it math). But if you coloured that hover fly in I think it would look like a fruit fly.
I feel that my role in all of this is to be at the actual coal face as it were.

 

[Cowley]

It turns out that they like orange juice more than anything...

 

[DaleCooper]

It turns out that they like orange juice more than anything...

Customer - "Waiter, what's that fly doing in my orange juice?"

Waiter - "I think it's the backstroke sir."

 

[Cowley]

Customer - "Waiter, what's that fly doing in my orange juice?"

Waiter - "I think it's the backstroke sir."

I was thinking last night that after all the fruit fly drowning I might come back as one in the next life and that would be terrible.
But then I thought. Don't be so stupid!
They have a fantastic time, according to your post #84.