Explore the mind of a bee and learn what drives its behavior.
Have you ever observed a bee up close and wondered what was going on inside its head? Like ours, insects' brains take up most of the space in their heads, but their brains are smaller than a grain of rice, only 0.0002% as large as ours. But what purpose does the insect brain serve, and how does that drive their creativity, morality, and emotions?
Bees in particular exhibit unexpected and fascinating cognitive skills. In What Do Bees Think About? animal cognition researcher Mathieu Lihoreau examines a century of research into insect evolution and behavior. He explains recent scientific discoveries, recounts researchers' anecdotes, and reflects on the cognition of these fascinating creatures. Lihoreau's and others scientist's research on insects reinforces the importance of protecting and preserving insects such as bees: after all, our survival on the planet is deeply dependent on theirs. This book provides an eye-opening window into the world of insect cognition and echoes an important ecological message about bees—they are intelligent creatures sharing the same fragile ecosystem as us.
By:
Mathieu Lihoreau
Translated by:
Alison Duncan
Imprint: Johns Hopkins University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 229mm,
Width: 152mm,
Spine: 12mm
ISBN: 9781421448589
ISBN 10: 1421448580
Series: The World of Animals
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 09 July 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Prologue: What Is a Bee? 1. A Poor Sense of Direction In a Bee's Head Everyone on the Dance Floor A Vector of Misinformation The Traveling Salesman Problem Cognitive Map and Cognitive Load 2. The Fragrance of Déjà Vu The Smell of Hydrocarbons The Misunderstood Cockroach Golf, Cheaters, and Peep Shows A Miniature Theory of Mind? 3. The Limitations of a Miniature Intelligence On the Shoulders of Turner Flower Power Concepts and Arithmetic Bumblebees Are not Always in a Good Mood A Miniature Imagination Consciousness and the Temptation of Anthropomorphism 4. The Superorganism Simple and Complex The Wisdom of the Crowd It Takes All Kinds Insects and Robots This Election Is Rigged! 5. Achilles' Heel The Harmful Effects of Nicotine Rock Is not Dead The Badger and Preventive Measures The Second Brain Five Fruits and Vegetables a Day Waiting for the Next World Epilogue: After All, We Are All a Bit Like Bees Afterword, by Jessica Serra Acknowledgments Notes
Mathieu Lihoreau is an evolutionary biologist and animal cognition researcher at the Behavioral and Cognitive Ecology Lab in the Center for Integrative Biology at the Université de Toulouse.
