It appears you have not yet registered with our community. To register please click here...

 
Go Back [M] > Madshrimps > WebNews
Bee brutality linked to human brain Bee brutality linked to human brain
FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Bee brutality linked to human brain
Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 12th December 2011, 09:07   #1
[M] Reviewer
 
Stefan Mileschin's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Romania
Posts: 148,055
Stefan Mileschin Freshly Registered
Default Bee brutality linked to human brain

Scientists have discovered that, just like humans, honeybees often find the best way to resolve indecision in a colleague is to administer a swift clout round the back of the head.

While such practices are now largely frowned upon in most human organisations - though any potential TechEye interns have to learn how to make good tea somehow - for bees it is a vital tool in problem solving with long periods of procrastination.

According to researchers from Sheffield University, such a physical approach to curtailing indecision is remarkably similar to how neurons in human brains stamp out umming and ahhing.

When bees are looking for a new hive, they organise themselves into systems very much like that of neuron structures in human brains.

A number of scouts are sent out to eye up potential property. Those which find a place with potential do a cool ‘waggle dance’ to attract attention, presumably in the manner of a gleeful estate agent when the customer's left the room.

This dance is essentially a sign to other scouts that they have found a lovely hole in a tree somewhere. However, there's often a likelihood that others too have found similarly suitable properties. This leaves the bees with a decision: either decide on a move quickly or risk the whole hive’s safety.

Faced with such an important decision with equally viable options displayed by the troupe of waggle dancers, a choice has to be made.

This is where it all gets a bit like the working of the human brain. Just like brain signals inhibiting certain neurons to narrow down the decision making process - and avoid the brain owner standing around like a late-night Burger King customer perusing the meal deals - the bees are given crude ‘stop signals’.

Said stop signals involve decision making bees seeking out dancing scouts and reducing the options by bashing them in the head and making “shrill beeping sounds”.

The scientists reckon that bees ‘stop signals’ could tell us something useful about the functioning of our brains, as the similarities are so striking in terms of functionality.

“This remarkable behaviour emerges naturally from the very simple interactions observed between the individual bees in the colony," the boffins said.

http://news.techeye.net/science/bee-...to-human-brain
Stefan Mileschin is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Performance Preview jmke WebNews 0 23rd August 2011 15:33
Brain Age drills make brain good at Brain Age, little more jmke WebNews 0 20th April 2010 20:05
HP Ink Costs More Than Human Blood jmke WebNews 1 2nd January 2010 16:42
Lines Between Human, Machine will Blur by 2012 jmke WebNews 0 27th July 2008 22:32
1080p and the Acuity of Human Vision jmke WebNews 1 10th April 2007 19:15
Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training - How Old is Your Brain? jmke WebNews 1 16th June 2006 17:09
EA: The Human Story jmke WebNews 1 11th November 2004 18:46

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:40.


Powered by vBulletin® - Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO