The long-held notion that signals are generally more relevant than the background noise has been recently challenged. This notion has its roots in the nearly three centuries of the scientific practice. During this entire period scientists and engineers have been trying obsessively to identify, quantify and qualify various signals separating them from the so called "noise". A new advanced study seems to show that the reverse appears to be definitely right. Three adult specimens of Mexican bean beetle larvae
maintained in perfect physical and mental condition, were subjected to a long
series of meticulously performed experiments leading to the revolutionizing
results.
Prior to the experiments a long record had been taken from a feline primary
somatosensory cortex and a standard signal-noise separation procedure was performed (SNR=0.8, P=0.95, T=36.7, a+b=3, a=1, b=?, N>
M). Then the following experiments were performed. The "signal", the "noise"
and the "raw" waveforms (i.e. signal plus noise, mixed case), after being
properly digitized, low-pass filtered and converted back to the analog form,
were injected to the alert larvae. After injection of the "signal" waveform all
three larvae slowed down their usual activities appreciably and consequently
stopped feeding till the end of the experiment. In the mixed case there was no
apparent change in activity, while in the "noisy" case all three larvae have
increased their rate of the leaf consumption (assessed using the DC component
of Fast Fourier Transform performed upon the remaining leaf area time
dependence curve). These results indicate unequivocally that the noise waveform
was more beneficial to the larvae from the specimen fitness standpoint. Thus,
pure noise has much more biological relevance than a pure signal or a common
mix thereof. This leads to an astonishing hypothesis that cats brain cells,
too, prefer to communicate almost exclusively through noise. It is well known
that monkeys are like cats to almost all practical purposes so it can be
inferred rather safely that noise is the main medium of communication in the
central nervous system of all primates. Taking into account that humans are
also primates, this study in a way reinforces the point, too.