Bees Learn to Recognize Human Faces

[Analog]

Going about their day-to-day business, bees have no need to be able to recognise human faces. Yet in 2005, when Adrian Dyer from Monash University trained the fascinating insects to associate pictures of human faces with tasty sugar snacks, they seemed to be able to do just that. But Martin Giurfa from the Université de Toulouse, France, suspected that that the bees weren't learning to recognise people.
"Because the insects were rewarded with a drop of sugar when they chose human photographs, what they really saw were strange flowers. The important question was what strategy do they use to discriminate between faces," explains Giurfa. Wondering whether the insects might be learning the relative arrangement (configuration) of features on a face, Giurfa contacted Dyer and suggested that they go about systematically testing which features a bee learned to recognise to keep them returning to Dyer's face photos.
The team publish their discovery that bees can learn to recognise the arrangement of human facial features on 29 January 2010 in the Journal of Experimental Biology at http://jeb.biologists.org.


http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100129092010.htm

 

[Jeff7]

The hornets in NuclearNed's yard learn his face very quickly. Then they learn to associate it with pain.


And somewhere, Mr. T. pities those little fools.

 

[Goosemaster]

oh sh!t.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Now, we need them to grow more intelligent as more of them come closer together by some telepathic means.

 

[techs]

I, for one, welcome our new bee overlords.

 

[Kntx]

What kind of madman would teach BEES to associate someone's FACE with a sugary snack??

 

[Schadenfroh]

What kind of madman would teach BEES to associate someone's FACE with a sugary snack??

Maybe they did not like said person?

 

[destrekor]

Maybe they did not like said person?

Seriously that's just wrong.

Though actually, bees aren't going to go sting a sugary snack. But they will want to land on you and shuffle about a bit. Maybe the trick is we all should carry sugar on our faces? That way, they land, get their sweet reward, and scuttle on out?

 

[Jeff7]

What kind of madman would teach BEES to associate someone's FACE with a sugary snack??

Well, they don't sting flowers, for one thing. Better to be viewed as a giant flower rather than a lumbering predator.


Until they get bored of trying to gently lap up any delicious sugar, and instead start boring into your skin in the hopes of getting something good.

"Goddammit I got something tasty last time, and I'll be damned if I'm going to leave here without getting anything."


Then of course, bees evolve into the equivalent of horseflies with stingers, and realize that they can sting something to the point of paralysis, and then suck it dry. The origins of Earth's newest dominant life form will be forever lost to history.

Thanks a lot, science.

Seriously that's just wrong.

Though actually, bees aren't going to go sting a sugary snack. But they will want to land on you and shuffle about a bit. Maybe the trick is we all should carry sugar on our faces? That way, they land, get their sweet reward, and scuttle on out?

That would work for me. It's too bad there's no good way to communicate with them.

"I'm not trying to destroy your nest, I'm just cutting the grass on the surface. A half-pound of sugar says you'll stay put, s'alright?"

 

[El Guaraguao]

does this mean i can finally grow a hunchback full of bees and or wasps?

 

[destrekor]

Well, they don't sting flowers, for one thing. Better to be viewed as a giant flower rather than a lumbering predator.


Until they get bored of trying to gently lap up any delicious sugar, and instead start boring into your skin in the hopes of getting something good.

"Goddammit I got something tasty last time, and I'll be damned if I'm going to leave here without getting anything."


Then of course, bees evolve into the equivalent of horseflies with stingers, and realize that they can sting something to the point of paralysis, and then suck it dry. The origins of Earth's newest dominant life form will be forever lost to history.

Thanks a lot, science.

See, I guess I have was right in previous threads about altering ecosystems. No matter what we'll do we screw ourselves without even realizing it.

That would work for me. It's too bad there's no good way to communicate with them.

"I'm not trying to destroy your nest, I'm just cutting the grass on the surface. A half-pound of sugar says you'll stay put, s'alright?"

:biggrin: Bribing bees.

If we threaten them with honey, think they'll get the point?
"Hey, sure I have this delicious honey product you made. But if I pour this out here on the grass, I'll be forced to go steal more. If you sting me, I'll accidentally on purpose drop it. Do we really wanna resort to that?"

 

[destrekor]

does this mean i can finally grow a hunchback full of bees and or wasps?

Reminds me of that Farscape episode with the guy that lets some bee-like creature out of his head. The venom acted as a sort of mind-control drug.

 

[Jeff7]

:biggrin: Bribing bees.

If we threaten them with honey, think they'll get the point?
"Hey, sure I have this delicious honey product you made. But if I pour this out here on the grass, I'll be forced to go steal more. If you sting me, I'll accidentally on purpose drop it. Do we really wanna resort to that?"

*bzz bzzz*
"We can fly faster than you can run, squishy biped, and the wood your 'shelter' is made of is easily edible. Do you really want to play that game?"

 

[destrekor]

*bzz bzzz*
"We can fly faster than you can run, squishy biped, and the wood your 'shelter' is made of is easily edible. Do you really want to play that game?"

Carpenter bees - the henchman of the stinger mob.

[ha - sidenote: looked them up to make sure they were actually "bees", and discovered the ones that often are all bzz bzz in your face, the males, lack stingers. No longer will they have influence on my behavior!]

 

[KaOTiK]

The hornets in NuclearNed's yard learn his face very quickly. Then they learn to associate it with pain.


And somewhere, Mr. T. pities those little fools.

I can't wait for him to post up his next story

 

[Jeff7]

Carpenter bees - the henchman of the stinger mob.

[ha - sidenote: looked them up to make sure they were actually "bees", and discovered the ones that often are all bzz bzz in your face, the males, lack stingers. No longer will they have influence on my behavior!]

Though that's not so good when the drone's harem of potential queens, as well as escorts of sterile workers arrive to find a lumbering, highly-stingable mammal harassing their sexy man.

And there's always the possibility of bee jizz in your face.


Bee jizz juice!
Bee jizz juice!
Bee jizz juice!


splut
...
oh god, sick.

 

[El Guaraguao]

Reminds me of that Farscape episode with the guy that lets some bee-like creature out of his head. The venom acted as a sort of mind-control drug.

Sorry mate, I was actually referring to the anime movie, Ninja Scroll. You should check it out. :awe:

 

[Born2bwire]

What kind of madman would teach BEES to associate someone's FACE with a sugary snack??

Even worse would be to dispense the nectar drop from one of the nostrils. D:

 

[Analog]

Even worse would be to dispense the nectar drop from one of the nostrils. D:

see pic.

 

[sdifox]

so, it's not safe to do facepalm anymore?

 

[dennilfloss]

so, it's not safe to do facepalm anymore?

Not if bees learn to recognize human feces.

 

[JTsyo]

Well, they don't sting flowers, for one thing. Better to be viewed as a giant flower rather than a lumbering predator.


Until they get bored of trying to gently lap up any delicious sugar, and instead start boring into your skin in the hopes of getting something good.

"Goddammit I got something tasty last time, and I'll be damned if I'm going to leave here without getting anything."

Well seeing as they die when they sting, I'm sure they won't be in a rush to sting random things.

 

[Jeff7]

Well seeing as they die when they sting, I'm sure they won't be in a rush to sting random things.

Some kinds of bees do lose their stingers; things like wasps and hornets can sting until their venom sacs run dry.
My record was 3 stings in a row from a single persistent wasp.

 

[lozina]

I'll be impressed when the bees discover their own solution to colony collapse disorder that's been plaguing them

 

[SunnyD]

This thread has gotten rather twisted.