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Hive minds: Honeybee intelligence creates a buzz

Bees can do remarkable things with a brain the size of a pinhead, raising some intriguing questions about the nature of intelligence

By David Robson

21 November 2012

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(Image: Rob Snow/robsnow.org)

See bees’ brains in action in our gallery:Social Bee-haviour: The secret life of bees

I CERTAINLY wouldn’t want to meet this bunch in a dark alley. Some are sitting and glowering at me from the shadows, and others are brawling in an unruly scrum, their wings and limbs flailing against the sides of their Perspex prison. Every last one of them is armed, and I can’t help wondering if they are planning some kind of coup. Fortunately, I am assured that they can be easily placated with a quick fix of the sweet stuff. “Mostly, our bees collaborate quite happily,” says Lars Chittka, whose lab I am visiting at Queen Mary, University of London.

That’s just as well, because these miniature brawlers show an extraordinary intelligence when they are given the chance to shine. Chittka and others have found that bees can count, read symbols and solve problems that would perplex some of the smartest mammals. Some have an eye for art appreciation, having been trained to pick either Monet or Picasso’s paintings from a choice of the two artists’ work. They may even have a form of self-awareness, and all of this with a brain the size of a pinhead. Studying how they are capable of such great ingenuity promises to reveal much about the evolution of intelligence. It might even provide a new perspective on the workings of our own brains.

Bees have long enjoyed our admiration. Ever since the ancient Egyptians began to cultivate their taste for honey, the hive has been revered for its apparent altruism and tireless…

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