A  STUDY  ON  THE  ACTIVITY,  ETHOLOGY  AND  PSYCHOLOGY    OF  FLUORESCENT  PLASTIC  CUBES*  

 Author:  C.L.  SCULDER  

Institute  for  the  Study  of  Mind,  Drugs  and  Behaviour  Loyola  University  Medical  Centre  

2160  S.  First  Avenue  Maywood,  Ill.  60253  

ABSTRACT    A  series  of  experiments  are  presented  which  have  provided  rigorously  quantified  and  carefully  analyzed  data  on  the  behaviour  of  small,  fluorescent,  plastic  cubes  of   varying   size   and   weight   in   an   environment   of   organic   complexity.   These  variables  have  been  studied  as  to  their  effects  on  the  psychomotor  activity  of  the  cubes,   on   the   social   behaviour   of   the   basic   units,   and   on   the   evolution,   the  affinities,  drives  and  Intelligence  of  the  cubes.    A   new   point   of   view   regarding   the   behaviour   of   richly   connected   systems   is  expressed.   The   data   suggest   that   there   are   errors   caused   by   the   dogmatic  separation   of   scientific   disciplines   and   strongly   favours   a   metagoal   of   trans-­‐cultural,  trans-­‐world  unity  of  science.  

INTRODUCTION    The   series   of   experiments   reported   here   represent   more   than   eight   years   of  research.  However,  none  of  the  data  have  been  published  previously.  The  work  has   been   carried   cut   with   difficulty   in   that   the   necessary   funds   were   from  personal  contributions  of  the  author  and  motivated  graduate  students.  An  initial  tentative  grant  request  in  regard  to  the  project  was  not  permitted  to  pass  beyond  the   chairman’s   desk   and   caused   such   emotional,   vindictive   and   threatening  behaviour  on  the  part  of  the  establishment  that  much  of  this  work  has  had  to  be  carried  out  secretly.  Only  the  virtues  of  the  tenure  system  permitted  the  analysts  and  presentation  of  this  data.    This   laboratory   has   been   engaged   for   many   years   in   studies   on   mouse  behaviouri,ii.  A  serious,  no-­‐nonsense  consideration  of  the  concepts  on  which  our  behavioural,   theories  were  based  promoted   the   investigation   reported  here.   In  our  everyday  conversations  in  the  laboratory  we  had  a  natural  enough  tendency  to   let   the   concepts   of   our   professed   field   (behaviour)   soul   over   to   our  descriptions   of   the   behaviour   of   “inanimate”   things;   and   we   found   ourselves  deep  in  information  theory,  systems  theory,  Gestalt  theory,  etc.  when  we  tried  to  establish  the  validity  of  the  assumptions  underlying  our  initial  points  of  view  and  to   pin-­‐point   the   rationale   behind   the   classical   constructs   of   animal   psychology  which  we  used  to  speak  about  the  mice  under  investigationiii.    

We  came  to  view  the  organism  as  a  behavioural  system  that  mirrored  aspects  of  the  environmental  reality;  and  we  began  to  wonder  which  was  the  reflection  of  which,  e.g.,  did  the  adaptive  intelligent  animal  reflect  the  environment  or  did  the  environment   reflect   the   animal?   Feedback   apparently   was   involved   in   the  simplest  motor  act.  The  mice  acted  upon  things  as  a  result  of  things  acting  upon  them;  and  the  stimulus  was  modified  by  the  actions  of  the  mouse-­‐actions  that  it  (the   stimulus)   caused.   An   on-­‐going   developmental   situation   existed   for   which  there  was  neither  a  be-­‐ginning  nor  an  end  but  rather,  in  most  cases,  there  was  a  dyadic  relation-­‐ship  as  follows:                  A  is  an  event  (or  series  of  events)  of  a  system  external  to  the  mouse  and  affecting  it,   and  B   is   an  event   (or   series  of   events)  within   the  mouse  affecting   the  other  system  so  as  to  modify  A.    The   experiments   reported   here   were   conceived   with   only   a   slight   change   in  reference  or  point  of  view.  This  change  in  reference  seemed  reasonable  because  it   appeared   to   us   that   there  was   only   a   convention  directing   us;   and,   possibly,  new  insights  would  be  gained  if  we  ignored  our  conventional,  egocentric,  Judeo-­‐Christian   philosophy.   The   philosophy   treats   the  world   as   divided   into   animate  and  inanimate  objects  and  maintains  itself  by  rigorously  indoctrinating  us  from  infancy   that   this   dichotomy   has   some   validity.   The   validity   is   enforced   by  suitable  separation  of  terminologies,  concepts,  and  hypotheses  in  use  in  separate  disciplines  studying  one  or  the  other  category.    We  jokingly  referred  to  our  studies  as  the  founding  of  a  new  science  -­‐  “cubology,”  the  study  of  the  behaviour  of  cubes  in  a  complex  organic  medium.  After  we  began  our   research   and   discovered   that   this  was   indeed   a   new   science,  we   began   to  worry  about  its  implication.  In  what  way  were  the  conclusions  that  we  reached  more   silly   and   irrelevant   than   those   of   scientific,   behavioural,   life   sciences  orthodoxy?   The   measurements   are   accurate   and   valid.   The   hypotheses   are  simple,  clear,  and  not  devious;  but  the  overall   implications  are  alarming  in  that  the   principles   and   the   logic   of   cubology   are   those   of   economics,   sociology,  psychology,  or  any  of  the  model-­‐constructing  sciences  of  the  artificial.  

 Environment  

A  

 Mouse  B  

MATERIALS  AND  METHODS  

I  Animals    The  animals  used  in  these  experiments  were  wild-­‐trapped,  male,  domestic  mice,  Mus   musculus   domesticus.   After   a   two-­‐week   quarantine   period   in   the  environmental   chamber   of   the   laboratory,   the   animals  were   admitted   into   the  cube  chamber  described  below.  They  were  not   further   studied.  The  number  of  male   animals  was  maintained   at   thirty   individuals   in   the   chamber   throughout  each  experiment.   Food  and  water  were   available   ad   libitum  at   the   sides  of   the  chamber  in  small  containers.  

II  Cubes    The  work   reported   here   dealt  with   the   behaviour   of   solid   polyethylene  plastic  cubes.  Control   cubes   for   this   study  were  1.5  cm.  on  a  side,  all   the  same  weight  and   solid.   During   certain   studies   either   the   dimensions   or   the   weights   of   the  cubes   were   changed.   If   the   cube   dimensions   were   the   parameter   under  consideration,  2  sizes  of  cubes  differing  from  the  1.5  cm  on  a  side  control  cubes  were  constructed.  These  were  either  1.2  or  1.8  cm  on  a  side.  The  smaller  cubes  were  weighed  with   lead   inserts   re-­‐covered  with   plastic   and  were   of   the   same  weight  as  the  control  cubes.  The  larger  ones  were  partially  hollow  so  that  their  weights  also  equalled  the  control  cubes.  Thus  in  studies  on  the  effect  of  size  on  behaviour,  all  cubes  weighed  the  same.  For  those  studies  involving  the  effect  of  weight  on  behaviour,   the  control  cubes  of  1.5  cm.  dimension  were  hollowed  or  weighed  and  then  recovered  to  all  look  identical  although  they  now  weighs  2,  3  or  4  grams.    All  cubes  were   impregnated  with   fluorescence  that  was  activated  strongly  by  a  dark   light   of   385   milli-­‐microns   and   emitted   fluorescent   light   at   435   milli-­‐microns.   The   latter   radiation   could   be   recorded   by   means   of   a   camera   as  described  below.    At  the  beginning  of  each  experiment  34,560  cubes  were  admitted  to  the  chamber  described  below  and  placed  equidistant  from  one  another  on  the  floor.  

III  The  Cube  Chamber    This  was  a  large  chamber,  6.1  x  3.7  x  2.4  meters  in  size.  It  was  constructed  from  pine  2”  x  4”  studs.  The  entire  chamber  on  the  inside  had  a  lining  of  ¼  inch  wire  netting  forming  the  walls  and  a  ceiling.  The  floor  was  a  smooth  aluminium  sheet  perforated  with   0.5   cm   holes   spaced  ¼   cm   apart.   These   holes   allowed   faeces,  food  particles,  and  urine   to   fall   from  the  chamber  but  did  not  permit  escape  of  the  cubes  and  provided  a  smooth  solid  base  for  their  activities.  The  chamber  was  maintained   in   a  dark   room  at  22oC.   ±  1.3o  with   a   light-­‐dark   cycle   of   16  hours  daylight.   The   on   time   was   6   a.m.   When   photographed   for   analysis,   the   entire  chamber   was   lit   briefly   with   strong   ultraviolet   radiation   and   all   other  illumination  was  extinguished  briefly  at  that  time.    

A  modified  wide  angle  Minolta  camera  mounted  above  the  chamber  was  used  for  photography.  One  picture   (frame)   of   the   total   field   (floor   of   the   chamber)  was  photographed   at   every   five-­‐minute   interval   throughout   the   experiment.   This  series  of  frames  provided  us  with  a  moment-­‐to-­‐moment  record  of  the  behaviour  of   the   cubes   in   the   presence   of   complex   organic   material.   The   mathematical  analysis   and   quantisation   of   these   data   was   made   possible   by   means   of   a  computer  read-­‐out  of  the  film.  Each  cube  appeared  as  a  point  of  light  and  suitable  programs  allowed  us  to  formulate  the  statistically  relevant  generalities  that  are  presented  here.  

IV  Experimental  paradigm    The   basic   experiment   has   already   been   indicated   above.   The   chamber   was  emptied   and   cleaned.   The   34,560   cubes   were   admitted   to   the   chamber   and  placed  equidistant  from  one  another  on  the  floor.  The  mice  were  admitted  to  the  chamber  at  6.00  a.m.  and  the  filming  was  begun  at  this  time  at  the  rate  of  1  frame  every  5  minutes.  Each  experiment  lasted  thirty  days.    Experiments  were   run  using   control;   light,   heavy,   large   and   small   cubes.   Some  experiments  were  also  run  using  an  equally  distributed  population  of  the  three  differently  weighed  cubes  or  the  three  different  sized  cubes.  Mixture  of  weighted  and   sized   cubes  were   not   studied.   The   experiments  were   essentially   simple   in  concept,  although  very  tedious  to  execute.    From   the  motion   pictures   of   each   experiment,  measurements  were   taken;   and  three   basic   kinds   of   behaviour   were   studied:   activity,   ethnology   or   social  behaviour  and  psychology.  The  qualitative  difference  between  these  behaviours  and  the  effects  of  changing  the  two  parameters  of  weight  and  size  on  these  three  behaviours  are  reported  in  the  results  section  below.  

RESULTS  

I.  Psychomotor  Activity.  

A.  Control  Cubes.    These  studies  pertained   to   the  overall  amount  of  activity  shown  by   the  control  cubes  without  consideration  of  the  quality.  The  estimates  were  derived  by  super  positioning  with  the  computer  a  fine  grid  over  each  frame  of  the  serial  sequence  of  film  and  analyzing  the  number  of  cubes  crossing  a  line  of  the  grid  within  each  five  minute  unit   of   time.  The  procedure  was   similar   to   that  used   to   record   the  psychomotor   behaviour   of   animals.   The   general   overall   activity   of   the   cubes  analyzed   in   this   way   showed   several   interesting   features.   The   activity,   for  example,   showed   diurnal   rhythm,   an   orientation   reflex   (this   is   a   period   of  heightened  activity  early  in  the  experiment  when  the  cubes  are  unfamiliar  with  the  environment  and  becoming  acquainted  with  each  other),  and  a  tendency  to  stabilize  at  a  certain  constant  activity  level.  (Thermodynamic  equilibrium?)    The  average  daily  psychomotor  activity  taken  from  ten  studies  of  control  cubes  is  shown  in  Figure  1.  There  is  a  clear  indication  that  the  cubes  become  increasingly  frenzied  until  around  the  fifth  day  at  which  time  the  overall  daily  activity  settles  down   to  what  might   be   considered   the   energy   level   of   the   total   population   of  controls.  The  activity  of  the  first  five  days  is  the  orienting  reflex.    Figure   2   shows   a   more   detailed   hour-­‐by-­‐hour   analysis   of   an   average   day’s  activity   from   such   studies.  Data   from   the   first   five  days’   activity   or   orientation  period  have  been  withheld  from  this  analysis.  The  cubes  show  two  distinct  peaks  of  activity  -­‐  one  at  8.00  pm.  and  another  at  4.00  a.m.  Night  time  activities  average  considerably  higher  than  those  during  the  day  when  cubes  appear  to  rest.  

B.  The  effect  of  size  on  psychomotor  activity.      Interestingly,   smaller  cubes  were  much  more  active   than   larger  ones.  Although  less   intelligent   (see   analysis   below),   they   showed   both   a  much   higher   level   of  orienting   reflex   and   of   general   activity.   On   the   other   hand,   larger   cubes   were  more  sluggish  and  never  as  highly  active.  (See  Chart  1.)  

C.  The  effect  of  weight  on  psychomotor  activity.    Weight   was   found   to   be   an   important   variable   in   that   heavier   cubes   showed  lessened  psychomotor  activity.  Light  cubes  showed  considerable  orienting  reflex  and  activity.  (See  Chart  2)  

II  Ethnology  

A.  Control  Cubes    The   analysis   of   locomotor   behaviour   presented   above   made   no   distinction  among  types  of  behaviours.  Psychomotor  activity  does  not  differentiate  between  a   positive   (social)   and   a   negative   (antisocial)   response   of   one   cube   towards  another.  One  of  the  most  striking  discoveries  of  these  studies  is  the  existence  of  self-­‐organizing   properties   among   the   cubes.   Initially   at   the   beginning   of   each  experiment   the   cubes   are   scattered   equidistant   from   and   symmetrical   with  regard   to   one   another.   If   the   camera   film   is   projected   on   a   screen   at   several  frames  per  second,  a  moving  picture  results  that  makes  it  clearly  evident  that  the  overall  movement  of  the  cubes  is  not  random.  Indeed,  their  effect  on  each  other  and   on   the   organic   constituents   of   the   system   is   such   that   at   unpredictable  intervals  the  cubes  aggregate  at  one  point  or  another  on  the  floor  of  the  chamber.    The  size  of  the  aggregates  varies,  but  the  average  aggregate  of  ten  experiments  was   composed   of   130   cubes   (S.E.   ±   27).   Aggregates   of   the   cubes   wander   as  “tribes”  one  cube  following  the  other,  about  the  cage  floor;  and  they  may  settle  or  disperse.  The  cubes  did  not  often  show  “cueing”  behaviour,  the  usual  effect  was  that   one   cube   would   leave   a   tribe   and   settle   somewhere.   It   would   then  communicate   with   others   of   its   group   and   cause   them   to   follow   and   settle  nearby,  sometimes  a  tribe  was  seen  to  divide  into  several  aggregates  or  one  may  coalesce  with  another  forming  larger  stable  communities.    The   cube   aggregates   present   fascinating   parallels   to   human   colonies   or  civilizations.  After  the  fifth  day  the  tribes  have  stabilized  to  certain  regions  of  the  cage   floor   and   the   attractions   among   unit   cubes   of   each   tribe   seem   more  enduring.  We  have  observed,  however,   on   rare  occasions,   sudden,  unexplained  activity  on  the  part  of  the  cubes  to  form  new  social  relation-­‐ships  and  new  tribes  after  a  period  of   inactivity  by  the  members  of  the  group.  This  begins  when  one  member  ventures  out  and  this  act  promotes  a  rapid  following  by  the  rest  of  the  herd,   one   at   a   time.   It   appears   that   there   is   some   kind   of   seeding   or   catalytic  effect   in   that   if   a   little   group   gets   together,   it   forms   the   nucleus   for   the  organization   or   accumulation   of   other   cubes   to   form  a   larger   aggregate.   There  appears  also  to  be  a  “law  of  exponential  aggregation”  in  that  once  a  small  society  is   formed,   there   is   an   increasingly   rapid   rate   of   accretion   until   some  optimum  size  is  reached  after  which  activity  among  the  involved  cubes  ceases.  Some  cubes  were  observed  to  oscillate,  to  not  settle  down  at  one  place  or  another.  Such  cubes  showed   frenzied   activity   and   instability.   It   is   interesting   that   these   were   the  cubes  that  most  often  ceased  their  restless  search  only  after   they  had  achieved  some  unusual  or   improbable  position   in   the  cage  and  were   therefore  often   the  more  intelligent.  

B.  The  effect  of  cube  size  on  the  quality  of  behaviour.    Both   weight   and   size   affect   the   quality   of   behaviour.   For   example,   among  different-­‐sized   cubes,   like   attracts   like;   e.g.,   cubes   of   a   similar   size   aggregate  together.  Small  cubes  tend  to  show  more  activity  but  move  more  randomly  than  control   cubes;   they   show   less   stability   and   organization.   Larger   cubes   often  aggregate   together   without   much   random   movement   once   a   seed   is   formed.  Their  colonies  are  resistant  to  change.  

C.  The  effect  of  weight  on  the  quality  of  behaviour.    When  populations  of  mixed  weighted  cubes  were  studied,  their  discrimination  of  one  another  was  not  found  to  be  as  great  as  that  found  among  cubes  of  different  size.   There   was   a   noted   tendency   for   heavier   cubes   not   to   increase   their  negentropy,   e.g.,   they  were   found   to   aggregate   less   and   therefore   contain   less  structure,  less  information  in  their  groups.  The  control  cubes  and  light-­‐weighted  cubes  occasionally  formed  conglomerate  societies.  

III.  Intelligence.    The  above  data  and   that  which   follows   is  admittedly  difficult   to  quantify.  After  the   investigators   had   developed   a   familiarity   with   the   behaviours,   the   entire  sequences  of  film  were  reviewed  and  the  number  of  times  in  each  experiment  a  particular   strategy   was   observed   was   recorded.   The   observations   and  generalities   presented   in   this   pilot   study   are   based   on   these   analyses.  Intelligence   was   estimated   on   the   basis   of   the   frequency   and   degree   of  improbable  and  complex  behaviour.  As  has  been  noted,  the  activity  of  the  small  and   the   light   cubes  was  often  very  great   -­‐  but   it   appeared  random,  almost   like  Brownian  movement.      However,   other   cubes   as   they   moved   about   seemed   to   gather   information,   to  attempt  strangely  unlikely  acts  for  example;  and  (this  was  most  noted  among  the  control   cubes)   the   cubes   occasionally   assumed   three-­‐dimensional  configurations.   E.g.,   one   cube  mounted   another   and   rested   on   it.   Even   piles   of  three  cubes,  a  very  improbably  event,  were  observed.  Most  rarely,  but  on  several  occasions,   arches   were   observed   two   or   three   layered   levels;   that   is,   two  columns  were  bridged  over  at  the  top  with  a  cube.  During  every  experiment  the  emergence   and   temporal   duration   of   these   columns   or   improbable   three-­‐dimensional  structures  were  recorded.  Intelligence  was  estimated  on  the  basis  of  the  frequency  and  degree  of  improbable  and  complex  behaviour.  On  such  a  scale,  in  terms  of  our  evaluation,  the  variables  have  the  following  effect  on  intelligence:    Either  increasing  or  decreasing  the  weights  lessened  the  likelihood  of  intelligent  behaviour.  Increasing  or  decreasing  the  size  lessened  the  likelihood  of  intelligent  behaviour.   In   other   words   it   would   appear   that   in   the   case   of   either   size   or  weight  there  had  to  be  a  critical  amount  of  plastic  present  for  the  generation  of  mood  and  complex  behavioural  stratagems.  There  was  a  non-­‐linear  complexity  involved   here.   In   spite   of   our   clear   definition   of   intelligence   in   terms   of   the  behaviour   of   the   cubes   (their   readiness   to   form   complex   associations)   the  

internal   factors   responsible   for   their   behavioural   traits   in   this   matter   have  escaped  us.  Why  should  the  removal  of  a  small  plug  of  material  from  the  centre  of   the   cube   render   it   more   stupid?   Why   should   a   different   bodily   dimension  cause  either  sluggish,  unimaginative  or  hyperactive,  unstable  behaviour?  

DISCUSSION    It  must  be  understood  that  this   is  a  new  field  of  exploration,  and  that  the  work  presented  here  is  a  pilot  study  which  should  be  developed  in  future  work.  There  are   exciting   implications   in   the   observation   that   in   suitable   environments,  intelligence  can  be  found  in  relatively  undifferentiated  matter  and  form,  namely  in  the  plastic  cores  of  the  cubes.    Some  comment  must  be  made  in  regard  to  the  results  presented  here.  Although  the  experiment   is  unconventional,   the  data  are  sound.  The  cubes  behave  under  these   conditions   in   the  manner   presented   here.   They   show   social   aggregation,  negentropy   increase,   diurnal   rhythm,   etc.   These   behaviours   are   made   no   less  remarkable  if  it  is  noted  that  it  would  not  be  so  to  a  different  environment.  This  is  true  of  all  behaviours.    When  we   investigate   some   aspect   of   the   universe,   the   way  we   sub-­‐divide   the  system   is   arbitraryiv   and   a   matter   of   convention   and   convenience.   Things   are  identified   by   their   looseness   of   coupling   with   other   things   or   by   degrees   of  decompositionv.  Much  of  this  depends  on  mechanistic  assumptions  of  causation.    It   is   necessary   in   this  discussion   to  digress   for   just   a  moment   and   consider   an  interesting   phenomenon   of  mathematics.   This   is   necessary   because   in   science,  once  we  establish  our  categories  and  our  variables,  the  rest  is  mathematics.  Let  us  consider  the  mathematical  properties  of  the  surface  of  a  sphere.    From  measurements  made  on  the  surface  a  consistent  set  of  relationships  can  be  worked   out,   all   describing   the   surface;   these   measurements   even   indicate   a  property  called  curvature  while  telling  nothing  of  what  is  inside  and  outside  or  of  a   third  dimension.  The  measurements   or   pointer   readings  provide   a   discipline  and   knowledge   about   intrinsic   properties   of   the   sphere’s   surface,   properties  present   in   the   information   gathered   at   the   surf   ace.   In   science  we   deal  with   a  three   dimensional   world.   Measurements   of   this   physical   space   also   indicate  curvature  as  one  of   its   intrinsic  propertiesvi.  We  measure  and  draw  our  proofs  from  this   intrinsic   information  because  acme  tells  us  that  by  definition  space  is  everything   and   everywhere.   The   universe   has   no   extrinsic   properties;   we   can  know  of  none,  we  can  conceive  no  fourth  dimension.    

Yet  obviously,  contrary  to  the  above  doctrine  we  all  know  of  something  extrinsic  to  the  mathematical  systems  of  physical  science.  We  know  we  are  conscious  (or  something!)   -­‐   our   thoughts,   our   intelligence,   our   being   we   know.   They   are  extrinsic   to   our  present   scientific   paradigms.  The  words   to   express   conscience  and  its  qualities  are  inadequate  because  words  suggest  things  -­‐  space-­‐occupying  things  with  dimension  and  duration;  and  “they”  are  not  of  this  substance.  “They  are  extrinsic  to  physical  reality  and  in  that  sense  do  not  exist.  But  this  suggests  there  may  be  a  discrepancy  in  how  we  are  handling  our  thinking  about  reality.    How  is  a  dyadic  or  higher  order  feedback  relationship  to  be  studied  or  divided  in  regard  to  behaviour?  Many  of  our  sciences  may  be  blind  to  this  problem.  Do  the  men   cause   the   ghettos   or   do   the   ghettos   produce   the   men?   Does   a   family  constellation   cause   the   psychotic   or   does   the   psychotic   promote   the   family  constellation?  Did  society  evolve  the  brain  or  does  the  brain  create  society?  Who  is   the   controller   and   by   when   controlled?  Where   is   the   stimulus?   If   it   can   be  traced   back   to   the   creature   which   is   stimulated?   What   point   of   view,   what  hypothesis,  what  demon  or  ghost  has  the  greatest  validity  in  regard  to  a  systems  approach  to  behaviour?    We   may   be   leaving   out   something   in   our   worldview   and   in   our   scientific  dogmavii.  We  did  not   consider   the  mice   in  our  cubology;   they  were  extrinsic   to  the  cubes  part  of   the  environment.   In  studying   the  behaviour  of  men  and   their  affairs   and   artefacts   we   find   a   lot   that   resembles   the   cubes.   Are   we   leaving  something  out?  Is  something  important  extrinsic  to  our  data?    

CONCLUSION    The  experiments  reported  here  represent  a  departure  from  more  classical  points  of  view.  It  is  ingrained  in  the  dogma  o  the  behavioural  sciences  that  in  a  feedback  relationship  (where  event  A  affects  B,  and  event  B  is  affecting  A)  the  important  behaviour   especially   if   it   is   intelligent,   self-­‐organizing,   or   goal-­‐directed,   is   a  property  of  the  organic  part.  The  control  or  mind  or  brain  is  presupposed  to  lie  in   the   organic   part.   There   appears   no   valid   basis   for   this   assumptionviii.   The  mouse  cube  experiment  shows  that  intelligence  of  a  sort  (mind,  and  the  like)  can  be  found  as  well  in  solid  blocks  of  plastic  in  the  proper  environment.      The  idea  at  fault  seems  to  be  that  mind  or  behaviour  or  control  are  attributed  to  parts  of  a  system.  The  conclusion   tentatively  reached  by   this  author   is   that   the  concepts   of   most   at   our   behavioural   sciences   are   rooted   in   a   culturally  determined   point   of   view   and   advancement   or   intellectual   change   with   some  reward   is   possible   only   when   these   hardened   dogmas   of   the   life   sciences   are  broken   by   other   frames   of   reference,   other   consciously-­‐perceived,   accidentally  discovered  realities,  transcultural  and  metalinguistic.    It   is   perhaps   impossible   for   the   straight-­‐jacketed   minds   of   pure   scientists   to  consider   the   revolutionary   import   of   this   attitude;   but   those   who,   along   with  their   being   scientists   are   also   philosophers,   or,   more   importantly,   sorcerers,  understand  the  depths  and  dangers  it  portends  to  us  and  our  societyix.  

FIGURES                

               

           Figure   1:   Mean   daily   psychomotor   activity   of   a   control   cube   population.   The  ordinate   represents   the  percent  mean  activity   index  obtained  by  averaging   the  five  minute  activities  of   ten  populations   for  each  day  of  a   typical   control   study  and  expressing  this  as  a  percent  of  the  highest  daily  (24  hour)  activity  shown  by  any  of  the  populations  throughout  the  study.  The  abscissa  is  time  in  days.      

Day  

Activity  Index  

               

             

           Figure   2:   An   average   24-­‐hour   activity   record   showing   the   diurnal   effect.   The  ordinate   in   this   case   is   the  mean  percent  activity  computed  on  an  hourly  basis  for   ten   studies.   The   records   for   the   first   five   days   of   these   studies   were   not  averaged  because  of  the  orientation  reflex  (Pig.  1).  The  abscissa  represents  time  in  hours.    

Activity  Index  

Time  of  Day  06:00  to  06:00  

Chart  1      THE  EFFECT  OF  SIZE  ON  PSYCHOMOTOR  ACTIVITY  

Small   37.0  ±  0.8  Control   17.3  ±  0.2  

Orienting  Reflex  

Large   4.2  ±  0.7  Small   30.3  ±  0.3  Control   12.7  ±  0.1  

Daily  Activity  

Large   2.7  ±  1.2    This   chart   indicates   the  mean   counts/hour   value   (±   SEM)   of   the   psychomotor  activity  during  the  first  five  days  of  the  study  (orientation  reflex)  and  the  mean  daily   activity   (±   SEM)   for   the   remainder   of   the   study.   It   can   be   seen   that   the  smaller  cubes  are  generally  more  active  and  reactive  compared  with  the  control  and  larger  cubes.  The  differences  bet  en  the  behaviours  of  the  treated  cubes  and  the  control  cube  behaviours  here  always  significant  P  <  0.05  and  in  some  cases  were  highly  significant.      Chart  2      

Small   23.9  ±  0.3  Control   16.4  ±  0.6  

Orienting  Reflex  

Large   14.2  ±  0.3  Small   20.3  ±  0.2  Control   12.3  ±  0.2  

Daily  Activity  

Large   9.9  ±  0.8    This  chart  indicates  the  mean,  counts  per  hour  value  (±  SEM)  of  the  psychomotor  activity   during   the   first   five   days   of   the   study   (Orienting   reflex)   and   the  mean  daily   activity   (±   SEM   for   the   remainder   of   the   study.   It   can   be   seen   that   the  lighter  cubes  are  generally  more  active  and  reactive  compared  with  the  control  and  heavier  cubes,  The  difference  from  control  value  all  achieved  P<0.05.  

FOOTNOTE    *This  has  been  modified  from  an  original  article  published  in    The  Worm  Runner’s  Digest  Vol.  15,  No.  1,  Dec.  1973,  122-­‐126    Which  was  in  turn  also  published  in    Systems  and  Management  Annual  1975,  C.  West  Churchman  Ed.,  Petrocelli/Charter,  N.Y.  511-­‐518.  

Additional  Information  by  David  Walker    This  paper  was  given  to  me  by  my  mother  when  she  was  on  a  psychology  course  in   the   early   eighties,   and   has   sat   around   in  my   files   ever   since.   In   September  1998   I   had   some   time  and   so  decided   to   scan   it   in   and   check   it   out.   I   sent   the  following  e-­‐mail  to  Loyola  University  Medical  Centre:    I   was   handed   a   copy   of   a   paper   entitled   'A   study   of   the   activity,   ethology   and  psychology  of  fluorescent  plastic  cubes'  by  C  L  Scudder  (1976)  at  'Institute  for  the  study  of  mind,  drugs  and  behaviour,  Loyola  University  Medical  Centre,  2160  S  First  Avenue,  Maywood,  Ill  60153.  I  was  trying  to  find  out  if  this  is  the  real  accreditation  for  this  paper,  or  if  this  is  as  much  spoof  as  the  article  itself.    to  which  I  got  the  following  reply:    I'm   unable   to   locate   a   CL   Scudder   here   at   the  medical   centre   currently,   and  we  don't  have  an  institute  by  that  name.  It  would  be  difficult   for  us  to  determine  the  authenticity  of  something  from  1976  without  more  information.  Sorry  we  couldn't  be  of  more  help.    Jacqueline  LaSota    Director  Public  Relations  and  WWW  Marketing  Department  Loyola  University  Health  System    In  2009  I  decided  to  create  a  PDF  version  of  the  document  and  also  looked  into  its  history  a  little  further.  I  found  more  references  to  the  Worm  Runner’s  Digest  including  one  at  Wikipedia  that  says  the  journal  published  both  satirical  articles  and  scientific  papers.      As  someone  involved  in  Business  Intelligence  I  have  periodically  used  this  article  as  an  example  of  how  analysis  without  assessing  all  the  information  can  lead  to  false  conclusions    In   the   scanning   process   I   have   allowed   the   spell   checker   to   change   the  words  from  US  English  to  UK  English;  I  have  also  redrawn  the  three  graphics;  otherwise  it  is  a  faithful  reproduction  of  the  document  I  was  handed.    

 

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