Natures wonders: bees seem to understand zero (Introduction)

by dhw, Sunday, June 10, 2018, 10:48 (2140 days ago) @ David Turell

QUOTE:"The brain of a honeybee is vastly simpler than that of a human. To put it in perspective, your brain has about 86 billion neurons while a bee has under 1 million. So, the fact that bees can—on some level—grasp the concepts of zero suggests other animals might be able to do the same. At the very least, it shows that a bee’s modest brain is capable of some surprising feats.
“'Their brains are probably processing information in a very clever [i.e., efficient] way” Dyer said."

dhw: The evidence for autonomous organismal intelligence mounts with every one of these natural wonders. Thank you again.

DAVID: Yes, brains can show intelligence. Without a brain intelligent activity requires intelligent information.

We are making good progress. It now seems possible that even insects have the autonomous intelligence to work out their own “natural wonders” instead of unknowingly switching on computer programmes designed for them 3.8 billion years ago (“intelligent information”). And who knows, one day you may consider the possibility that bacteria and plants and fungi have some kind of brain equivalent that enables them to do the same.