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Sneaky Sneasel
Gym Leader
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 5:21 pm Posts: 3128 Location: College
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27400258/
Quote: SYDNEY - Researchers in Australia have discovered that honey bees have the ability to count — at least to the number four.
A scientist from the University of Queensland put five markers inside a tunnel and placed nectar in one of them, Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio reported.
Honey bees placed in the tunnel flew to the marker with the food, and would still fly to the same marker stripe when the food was removed.
"We find that if you train them to the third stripe, they will look subsequently in the third stripe," researcher Mandyam Srinivasan said.
"If you train them to the fourth stripe, they will look the fourth stripe and so on. But their ability to count seems to go only up to four. They can't count beyond four.
"The more we look at these creatures that have a brain the size of a sesame seed, the more astonished we are. They really have a lot of the capacities that we so-called higher human beings possess."
The research was carried out jointly with Swedish researcher Marie Dacke.
I for one welcome our new counting bee overlords.
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Mon Oct 27, 2008 2:45 pm |
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solidraiden
Psychic Trainer
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:58 am Posts: 58 Location: the avatar is what i look like in RL
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ah but i am defended with a canister of bug repellent and the ability to say pi and count to a greater number the number called 8. (dun dun dun)
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Mon Oct 27, 2008 5:36 pm |
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Nida
Ace Trainer
Joined: Sat Dec 01, 2007 11:36 am Posts: 302 Location: Upstate New York
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Everyone release your Combees in boxes 1-4.
_________________ryan_dan wrote: (S)ome dumb kids looked at Mewtwo and thought "Hey he can clone things and move objects with his mind and be weak to Ghost attacks, why can't I?" Because it is a freaking game!!! Not something you should actaully practice in real life!!!
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Mon Oct 27, 2008 7:50 pm |
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Krisp
Lite Four
Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 6:21 pm Posts: 3471
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I think it's wonderful that they waste money on research like this, instead of you know, useful stuff like curing cancer.
_________________
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Mon Oct 27, 2008 11:18 pm |
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Cellblock
Pokemon Ranger
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:03 am Posts: 604 Location: Running In The 90s
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Toasty wrote: I think it's wonderful that they waste money on research like this, instead of you know, useful stuff like curing cancer.
Seconded.
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 1:27 am |
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Patchy
Pokemon Master
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2007 6:17 am Posts: 1018
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Horses can count. Why is it so amazing that bees can?
What a waste of money.
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 4:26 am |
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Kurusu Lapras
Psychic Trainer
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:38 am Posts: 86 Location: I am inside your soul. It's actually really comfortable in here.
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All I can say about this is that scientists have officially run out of good ideas when they start checking if bugs can count.
What's next, a rock that can add the numbers 0+0?
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 5:06 pm |
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tennis8668
Dragon Tamer
Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2007 6:12 am Posts: 240 Location: COME TO MA FORUM (clicky on siggy)
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ShinyHunter07 wrote: Horses can count. Why is it so amazing that bees can?
What a waste of money.
Because "bees have brains the size of sesame seeds". >.>
But I agree, its a pretty enormous waste of cash.
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 5:34 pm |
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mExCaLiBuR
Bug Catcher
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:38 pm Posts: 17 Location: Feverishly correcting other people's spelling and grammatical errors.
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Wow, these "scientists" are retarded. I have no idea what they plan to do with this "knowledge." Bees rely on physical structures/markings to find food/honey/whatever... Indeed a waste of money. I don't think I have any more faith in the human race...
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:35 pm |
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Sneaky Sneasel
Gym Leader
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 5:21 pm Posts: 3128 Location: College
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It's just some bees, nectar, and markers. I don't think this cost as much as you guys think it did.
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:38 pm |
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Guitar & Bass Player
Bug Catcher
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:38 pm Posts: 2
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I don't know anyone (besides the scientists) that would be overwelmed with facination that bees can count to 4. Even though they count higher than me....
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:39 pm |
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mExCaLiBuR
Bug Catcher
Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 8:38 pm Posts: 17 Location: Feverishly correcting other people's spelling and grammatical errors.
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Ok, fine. Point taken. However, I never actually said I thought they wasted a lot of money, but rather they wasted money. Period.
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 7:42 pm |
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Sparrow
Pokemon Ranger
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:58 pm Posts: 606 Location: California
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Anyone else notice how everyone just repeated what Toasty said? :O
And Jerry Seinfail made me hate bees. >:(
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Tue Oct 28, 2008 8:21 pm |
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MasonTheChef
Pokemon Master
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:02 am Posts: 1575 Location: Michigan
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Toasty wrote: I think it's wonderful that they waste money on research like this, instead of you know, useful stuff like curing cancer.
Because Anthropologists are the key for curing cancer? I'll leave that to people who study the human body, not bugs. Though I agree the study is silly.
..but you know, counting bees today are tomorrow's killer assassins that can strike four people in a preset order.
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Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:14 am |
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Cellblock
Pokemon Ranger
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:03 am Posts: 604 Location: Running In The 90s
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MasterChef wrote: Toasty wrote: I think it's wonderful that they waste money on research like this, instead of you know, useful stuff like curing cancer.
Because Anthropologists are the key for curing cancer? I'll leave that to people who study the human body, not bugs. Though I agree the study is silly.
..but you know, counting bees today are tomorrow's killer assassins that can strike four people in a preset order. :lol:
Well if they find out how to cure cancer in bess they can find out how to cure cancer in us.
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Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:29 am |
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Equinoxe
Dragon Tamer
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:30 am Posts: 160 Location: ~trouble~
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Why are all the comments so negative? I personally find bees' counting abilities rather interesting.
By finding out what "lower" lifeforms can do, and how, may help in understanding how some things in humans' brains work. :P
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Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:21 am |
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goldenquagsire
Art Commentator
Joined: Tue Apr 11, 2006 11:39 am Posts: 2467 Location: London, UK
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Hey guys.
Has it occured to any of you that perhaps the people who funded this were interested in the mental functions of bees and could do what they damn well wanted with their money? Or perhaps even, they merely wanted to discover knowledge for the sake of knowledge?
Don't worry, I'm sure that lots and lots of money is being spent on a cure for cancer.
Anyway, I read this in the paper earlier. Quite cool, really, although I wonder what the use is of only being able to count four objects. :/
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Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:35 pm |
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Kurusu Lapras
Psychic Trainer
Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:38 am Posts: 86 Location: I am inside your soul. It's actually really comfortable in here.
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Mewtwelve wrote: I personally find bees' counting abilities rather interesting.
By finding out what "lower" lifeforms can do, and how, may help in understanding how some things in humans' brains work.
I am actually very interested in scientists finding out how smart animals really are, thus showing how stupid we humans were by not figuring out sooner that we aren't as much smarter than everything else on earth.
I guess it just sounds kind of random that this week's big scientific discovery is that bees can count to the number four.
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Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:48 pm |
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Sneaky Sneasel
Gym Leader
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 5:21 pm Posts: 3128 Location: College
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The main problem is that is the first step. Soon enough they'll be cyborg bees bent on human destruction. In fact here is one of the prototypes.
Last edited by Sneaky Sneasel on Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:49 pm |
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Kirke
Ace Trainer
Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 2:35 pm Posts: 315 Location: strange overtones
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MasterChef wrote:
Because Anthropologists are the key for curing cancer? I'll leave that to people who study the human body, not bugs.
ANTHROPOLOGIST = STUDY OF HUMANS AND HUMAN CULTURE
ENTOMOLOGY = STUDY OF BUGS
okay thanks
_________________everything that happens will happen today
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Wed Oct 29, 2008 8:02 pm |
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MasonTheChef
Pokemon Master
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2008 5:02 am Posts: 1575 Location: Michigan
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Kirke wrote: MasterChef wrote:
Because Anthropologists are the key for curing cancer? I'll leave that to people who study the human body, not bugs.
ANTHROPOLOGIST = STUDY OF HUMANS AND HUMAN CULTURE
ENTOMOLOGY = STUDY OF BUGS
okay thanks
DOH..... >.< that's what I get for typing after I wake up....
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Thu Oct 30, 2008 3:26 am |
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Zombie
Ace Trainer
Joined: Fri Nov 09, 2007 4:24 am Posts: 412 Location: credit goes to afonso for the avatar, and the "faceplant"
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how much money do you actually think that cost, if your going to complain about the money not going to curing cancer, if you really care that much, why don't you all disconnect your internet sell your computers and gameboys, and donate the lot.
I for one thrive on this info, I mean who wouldn't want to know how high a bee can count, soon they'll take over the world, and then mabye count to five, MOWAHAHAHA!!!!
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Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:57 pm |
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Archangel Mikael
Ace Trainer
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:43 am Posts: 266 Location: under your keyboard, smiling at all the dust mites....
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what if there come along a genius bee that can cout to 10. think of the possablilties....
_________________A flea and fly in a flue, Were imprisoned so what could they do? Said the flea let us fly. Said the fly let us flee. So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
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Sat Nov 01, 2008 4:44 pm |
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Galar
Gym Leader
Joined: Thu Feb 17, 2005 11:04 am Posts: 1320 Location: Sky Tower
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It is just a matter of time until they conquer bigger achievements, like making their own shoes:
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Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:09 pm |
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Archangel Mikael
Ace Trainer
Joined: Wed Jul 16, 2008 11:43 am Posts: 266 Location: under your keyboard, smiling at all the dust mites....
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OMG NO NO NOOOOOO!!!!! DAMN THEM BEES TOOK OVER NIKE CORPS!!! ITS THE APOCOLYPSE!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!
_________________A flea and fly in a flue, Were imprisoned so what could they do? Said the flea let us fly. Said the fly let us flee. So they flew through a flaw in the flue.
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Sat Nov 01, 2008 5:27 pm |
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