Like Humans, Bees Can Develop False Memories
- 9 years ago
Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have determined that bees can sometimes merge different experiences from the past to create false memories, a behavior also seen in humans.
Apparently, humans aren’t the only ones who can be prone to false memories.
It appears that bumblebees also have the ability to remember things that aren’t exactly the way they happened in reality.
Queen Mary University of London professor Lars Chittka, who has studied the insects for 20 years, and a fellow researcher decided to test them on this type of memory failure.
In one of the experiments, the bumblebees were trained to hone in on artificial flowers treated with a nectar-like substance first with a black-and-white ring pattern, followed by a solid yellow.
Almost immediately after the training, they returned to the patterned flower that most recently provided the sweet treat. They were then tested one or three days later: at first, they
Apparently, humans aren’t the only ones who can be prone to false memories.
It appears that bumblebees also have the ability to remember things that aren’t exactly the way they happened in reality.
Queen Mary University of London professor Lars Chittka, who has studied the insects for 20 years, and a fellow researcher decided to test them on this type of memory failure.
In one of the experiments, the bumblebees were trained to hone in on artificial flowers treated with a nectar-like substance first with a black-and-white ring pattern, followed by a solid yellow.
Almost immediately after the training, they returned to the patterned flower that most recently provided the sweet treat. They were then tested one or three days later: at first, they