Worms: No Strings Attached
Worm off the string: What sins will he commit?
This was the question de jure posed by supporters and detractors alike of the Worm off the String movement, a global push to free these imprisoned creatures from the cruel instruments of their puppetry. Though long overlooked as simple toys, Worms on a String returned to prevalence near the end of last year only to be met with a compassion and understanding entirely foreign to their original ‘70s release. Despite this, efforts to free these animals on a mass-scale have brought forward concerns surrounding worm autonomy even within the Worm on a String community itself. The debate, which largely surrounds the capabilities of newly released worms, is complex in its implications. However, to those who have truly experienced the privilege of knowing these magnificent and nuanced beings, the answer to the question is obvious; in fact, we were asking the wrong question entirely. What we should instead consider is, worm off the string: What benefit will he contribute to a society in which he is considered an equal?
Worms on a String—also known as Squirmles, Snoots, or Magic Twisty Worms—were released as toys in the 1970s. With such a nebulous history, it is understandable at this point to question whether or not these creatures are animals at all. Cambridge Dictionary defines animal as “a living thing that can move and eat and react to the world through its senses.” Fortunately, there is sufficient evidence to indicate the positive for Worms on a String: videos abound displaying complex and lifelike behaviors unique to animate creatures. Though the following video does not capture the worm eating, it does display distinct mobility and reactivity, making its animality—and by extension sentience—clear.
With the animal status of Worms on a String established, it is only natural to subsequently extend them the rights of a standard domesticated animal. Though it may be tempting to simplify the string-to-worm relationship as equivalent to that of a leash on a dog, this ignores the fact that a worm’s string is kept permanently affixed to its nose; this makes the Worm on a String more directly analogous to a permanently tethered dog. The Humane Society of the United States has the following to say of tethered dogs:
It is common for continuously tethered dogs to endure physical ailments as a result of being continuously tethered. Their necks can become raw and sore and their collars can painfully grow into their skin. They are…at high risk of entanglement, strangulation and harassment or attacks by other dogs or people.
A worm’s tether, affixed tightly to its snout, frequently creates noticeable deformations comparable to the embedded collars of a neglected and tethered dog. Beyond this direct medical consequence, the lack of freedom provided to worms can be psychologically damaging. Similarly to dogs, lack of proper enrichment is a form of neglect and mistreatment of these intelligent, curious creatures. The string, whether or not intentionally, is too often used as a tool of cruelty and restraint that is incredibly and irrevocably damaging to a worm’s wellbeing. Until worms are freed—no strings attached—this suffering will continue.
The string, whether or not intentionally, is too often used as a tool of cruelty and restraint that is incredibly and irrevocably damaging to a worm’s wellbeing.
It is worth considering whether or not worms have the capacity to lead fulfilling lives off of the string. Do worms, after all, have free will? The answer, provided by New York’s Rockefeller University, is a resounding yes. A 2015 study determined that microscopic roundworms reacted differently to the same stimulus depending on their preexisting state of mind. According to Dr. Cori Bargmann, who worked on the project, “in essence, what the worm is thinking about at the time determines how it responds.” This is a clear display of rudimentary decision-making in the microscopic counterpart of the Worm on a String. Such thought is quite an impressive feat for a creature with only 302 neurons to its name. Scaled up, it is only logical to assume that a standard Worm on a String could fit way more neurons in its ass—more than enough to facilitate free will.
A common, though ultimately misguided, fear held by opponents of the Worm off the String movement ponders whether or not released worms would use their freedom for positive endeavors. To return to the initially posited question, worm off the string: what sins will he commit?, the query itself is inherently flawed. It presupposes that worms, if granted freedom, would make malicious decisions within their communities. Frankly, there is no way to guarantee this will never be the case; however, we owe it to the species—and to our own morality—to give them that chance. With freedom comes risks, but that risk is not our place to deny. Worms, who have demonstrated marked suffering under the control of the string paired with the free will to manage their own freedom, will be restrained no longer. It’s time to take off the string.
Works Cited
Andres, Trending Ni, director. Magic Wacky Worm. Youtube, 17 May 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3MJ8Gyv6vM.
“Chaining and Tethering Dogs FAQ.” The Humane Society of the United States, The Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org/resources/chaining-and-tethering-dogs-faq.
O’Callaghan, Jonathan. “Are Worms More Intelligent than We Thought? Study Reveals That They Have FREE WILL.” Daily Mail Online, Associated Newspapers, 13 Mar. 2015, www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2993700/Are-worms-intelligent-thought-Study-reveals-FREE-WILL.html.
