Bumble bees play, according to new research
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Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#2From the original study:
> We found that ball rolling (1) did not contribute to immediate survival strategies, (2) was intrinsically rewarding, (3) differed from functional behaviour in form, (4) was repeated but not stereotyped, and (5) was initiated under stress-free conditions.
...
> We suggest that the behaviour observed here has actual hedonic value for bumble bees, which adds to the growing body of evidence of a form of sentience in these insects
Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#3There used to be a bumble bee that, I was convinced, would come around to play with my dog, a Labrador. It was entertaining to watch. When the dog was outside the bumble bee would hover near his face to get his attention. Once he noticed the bee he would growl, jump, and bite at the bee but not in an aggressive manor. It was in his playful tone, the same as when I played with him and his toys. Every time he lunged at the bee it would dart back and always stay just out of reach. Then the bee would zoom in closer and they would repeat this for a few minutes until one of them would get distracted. As far as I know they never made direct contact. RIP good boy
Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#4Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#5Paying it forward:
An article by David Graeber I first saw here, where he argues the utilitarian evolutionary view (every action witnessed in animals is there to somehow increase changes of survival) is a relic of the industrial revolution. Instead, he says, playing is a key feature of life.
https://thebaffler.com/salvos/whats-the-point-if-we-cant-hav...
Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#6Paying it forward: An article by David Graeber I first saw here, where he argues the utilitarian evolutionary view (every action witnessed in animals is there to somehow increase changes of survival) is a relic of the industrial revolution. Instead, he says, playing is a key feature of life. https://thebaffler.com/salvos/whats-the-point-if-we-cant-hav...
what says play doesn't increase the chance of survival?
Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#7In other bee-related, but different type, news today:
"Honeybee Swarms Can Produce as Much Electric Charge as a Storm Cloud" https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/honeybee-swarms-ca...
Note: Title is incorrect. They're actually talking in terms of charge density.
"As far as electricity generation goes, a bee swarm’s charge isn’t too impressive: It would take about 50 billion bees to power an LED light, Popular Science reports. But compared to the charges produced by common weather events, the bees’ charge density was six times greater than an electrified dust storm and eight times greater than a thunderstorm cloud."
Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#8From the original study: > We found that ball rolling (1) did not contribute to immediate survival strategies, (2) was intrinsically rewarding, (3) differed from functional behaviour in form, (4) was repeated but not stereotyped, and (5) was initiated under stress-free conditions. ... > We suggest that the behaviour observed here has actual hedonic value for bumble bees, which adds to the growing body of evidence of…
The researches adduce from those five findings that ball-rolling holds hedonic value for bumble bees.
One of those findings was that ball-rolling is "intrinsically rewarding" to a bee.
Isn't this what you call "begging the question"? It's hedonic because it is intrinsically rewarding.
The article ends with the quote:
"We are producing ever-increasing amounts of evidence backing up the need to do all we can to protect insects that are a million miles from the mindless, unfeeling creatures they are traditionally believed to be."
It gives me the impression the findings are driven by the agenda to save the bees. Which makes me feel conflicted since I support the aim and have lay interests in philosophy of mind.
Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#9Not very surprising. We, as a whole, do not recognize intelligence in other creatures because it makes it so much easier to do anything with or to them. Damn shame for a number of reasons
Re: Bumble bees play, according to new research
#10There used to be a bumble bee that, I was convinced, would come around to play with my dog, a Labrador. It was entertaining to watch. When the dog was outside the bumble bee would hover near his face to get his attention. Once he noticed the bee he would growl, jump, and bite at the bee but not in an aggressive manor. It was in his playful tone, the same as when I played with him and his toys. Every time he lunged at…
Are you sure it wasn't a male carpenter bee? That's pretty standard(annoying) behavior for them.