Central New York students hear earthworm brain waves with locally-developed tech

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Students at Manlius Pebble Hill School, a private school outside Syracuse, New York, are using locally-developed technology to listen to the brain waves of earthworms, crickets, flies, and other animals as part of a computer tech class. The students connect the animals to electrical circuits and use amplifiers to send the neural signals to laptops, where they can measure and hear the brain activity.

Why it matters

This hands-on neuroscience experiment gives students a unique and engaging way to learn about how brains function, even in simpler organisms like worms. The fact that the technology was developed locally makes it especially meaningful for the students, who feel a sense of pride in being the first to use this innovative approach to science education.

The details

Tech teacher Gus Lott had his students impale earthworms with wires and connect them to an electrical circuit board. The board's amplifiers then send the worms' neural signals to laptops, where students can visualize and listen to the brain waves. While worms have far less complex brains than humans, this experiment allows students to learn neuroscience principles in a hands-on, interactive way that is rare in typical public school science classes.

• The experiment is being conducted in Gus Lott's computer tech class at Manlius Pebble Hill School, a private school outside Syracuse, New York.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The school plans to continue offering this brain wave experiment as part of its computer tech curriculum, allowing more students to gain hands-on experience in neuroscience.