Using their primitive brains, bees can make quick, wise judgements, according to a recent research.
The humble honeybee is a subject that can never be adequately discussed. They serve a crucial role in many ecosystems as pollinators and even produce honey, which is a delightful and very nutritious meal that is enjoyed by many animals. These tiny critters have been "engineered" over millions of years to make quick judgements that minimise danger, according to new study.
According to Macquarie University, the study that was published in the journal eLife yesterday not only advances our knowledge of insect brains but also provides insight into how human brains have developed and how to create better robots. In addition to outlining the neural pathways in bees' brains that enable quick judgements, the study report presents a model of decision-making in bees.
“Decision-making is at the core of cognition. It’s the result of an evaluation of possible outcomes, and animal lives are full of decisions. A honey bee has a brain smaller than a sesame seed. And yet she can make decisions faster and more accurately than we can. A robot programmed to do a bee’s job would need the backup of a supercomputer,” said Andrew Barron, corresponding author of the study, in a press statement. Barron is a professor at the university.
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