Wasps can make abstract choices

The Fuscatus polystesCompared to bees, commonly known as the often spoiled paper wasps, they actually turn out to be smarter than we thought, according to a study by scientists. American researchers at the American University of MichiganPublished by the British Royal Society.

In fact, according to the team’s work, the wasp can tell the difference between the two objects. Adrien Berard, lecturer in ecology at the University of Paris, analyzes: “This is not normal.Wasps are not associations between a physical object and state and condition (eg “a red flower equals a reward”), but more abstract concepts: are the objects the same or different?“

In concrete terms, American researcher Elizabeth Tibbetts and her team trained wasps to choose pairs of symbols: the same symbol twice or two different symbols. Later, Adrian Berard describes, “Wasps were placed in a maze where they had to choose between identical symbols or different symbols. But in the maze, these are symbols they have never seen.“

So insects can’t just resort to their memory to find a solution. “So they couldn’t just associate “this color is the reward” or “this smell is the reward”.Refers to French education. Wasps have to choose whether two colors or two smells are similar to each other.“

This discovery may seem insignificant, but it is a huge step forward for science. “These experiments allow us to better understand the functioning of the brains of insects and their abilities. Adrien Berard notes, But combine it with other types of brain activity, so understanding the mechanism of reflection, understanding the perception of the environment and its use.“

The next challenge for researchers will be to understand how tiny brains like those of wasps carry out functions suitable for computers.