We’ve seen plenty of troubling news lately about the disappearance of bees in the heartland. So it’s nice to come across a happy bee story this week.
As The Verge reports, scientists have discovered that bees can be trained like dogs. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have successfully taught a group of the tiny insects to pull on a string in exchange for a treat. What’s more, you don’t have to train the bees individually. If you teach one bee, then that bee’s compatriots will learn the skill simply by watching the first bee—with no human involvement necessary.
The bee study was published in a British biology journal this week. It shows how animals can pass on skills in a way we previously thought was largely exclusive to humans.