In 2021, a remarkable video captured in São Paulo, Brazil, showed a pair of bees collaborating in a coordinated manner to unscrew the orange cap of a Fanta bottle to reach the sugary liquid inside. The episode was recorded by a worker during their lunch break, who commented, "I was enjoying a lunch break with a drink, but the bees immediately stole it from me." The video has recently gone viral again, puzzling many on the Internet with the gentle skill with which the two bees seem to open the cap of a soda bottle.
The dexterity with which the bees acted amazed many, raising questions about their intelligence and cognitive abilities. The question of how a brain so small can tackle complex tasks like unscrewing a bottle cap remains open. Some have even suggested that, in the current era of digital deception, it is necessary to be aware that the video could be simply AI-generated. Alternatively, the bees may have actually worked together and simply knocked off a bottle cap that was already loose.
Despite their tiny size, bees possess surprising intelligence and can learn from others. Studies published in Scientific Reports have shown that the bee brain, although less than two cubic millimeters and representing only 0.0002% of the volume of the human brain, allows them to perform complex tasks. The complexity of the connections between neurons could be more important for cognitive performance than brain size. A single neuron in a bee's brain can connect to up to 100,000 other cells, demonstrating surprising complexity.
In addition to their cognitive abilities, bees have other incredible peculiarities, including the ability to use tools. In a 2017 study, bees were trained to perform complex actions like rolling a ball to obtain a reward, demonstrating their ability to learn and imitate. The bumblebees were able to do this with surprising ease. The researchers wrote, "Now we recognize that many species have the ability to imagine how a particular object could be used to achieve an end," according to Science Alert.
Another study, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, revealed that bees are able to distinguish between even and odd numbers. Researchers subjected bees to a test in which cards with an even number of shapes offered sugar, while those with an odd number contained quinine, a bitter substance. With a success rate of 80%, bees demonstrated that they can distinguish the two groups. Bees can count up to zero and perform basic mathematical equations.
In 1962, Karl von Frisch stated that bumblebees had brains too small to think, attributing their ingenuity to innate instinct. He claimed that bees fail "when suddenly faced with unknown tasks," according to Science Alert. However, subsequent studies have shown that bees are capable of intelligent actions and solving problems in unexpected ways. Karl von Frisch won the Nobel Prize for his research on bee communication a decade after making that statement.
Tiny animals have much less body mass for brain cells to control them, so they naturally need smaller brains. The complexity of the connections between neurons could be more important for cognitive performance than brain size. Even with their small circuit of neurons, bees may be capable of much more than previously thought. Nature continues to amaze us with its diversity and complexity, even in seemingly simple creatures like bees.
These insects, essential to the ecosystem, continue to surprise scientists and enthusiasts with behaviors that challenge our expectations. The next time you enjoy an outdoor lunch, you might be surprised by the hidden abilities of bees.
Clarin, and Science Notizie were among the websites that reported on the video’s renewed virality.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq