http://theconversation.com/we-taught-bee...-it-117816
EXCERPT: . . . Now our new study shows that honeybees too can learn to match symbols and numerosities, much like we humans do with Arabic and Roman numerals. [...] Language is the ability to learn and use a system of symbolic representations for communication. This includes a capacity to relate signs to abstract information. [...] Around the world humans have developed many different spoken and written languages. However, mathematics in particular is often regarded as a “universal language” since the mathematical concepts that describe values and equations do not depend on cultural or other frameworks. We are interested in the question of whether numerical symbols are truly universal – that is, whether they also work for species that are not human.
[...] Our work has already shown honeybees can learn and apply challenging numerical concepts such as greater vs. lesser items, a quantitative valuation of “zero”, and simple arithmetic. We took this knowledge a step further with our latest research. [...] While no other species besides humans has spontaneously developed a language for numbers, our research suggests an insect can understand and learn basic representation of numbers through symbols. The system we taught to bees was limited in several ways. [...] And yet it is remarkable bees displayed some capacity to understand numbers through symbols. (MORE - details)
EXCERPT: . . . Now our new study shows that honeybees too can learn to match symbols and numerosities, much like we humans do with Arabic and Roman numerals. [...] Language is the ability to learn and use a system of symbolic representations for communication. This includes a capacity to relate signs to abstract information. [...] Around the world humans have developed many different spoken and written languages. However, mathematics in particular is often regarded as a “universal language” since the mathematical concepts that describe values and equations do not depend on cultural or other frameworks. We are interested in the question of whether numerical symbols are truly universal – that is, whether they also work for species that are not human.
[...] Our work has already shown honeybees can learn and apply challenging numerical concepts such as greater vs. lesser items, a quantitative valuation of “zero”, and simple arithmetic. We took this knowledge a step further with our latest research. [...] While no other species besides humans has spontaneously developed a language for numbers, our research suggests an insect can understand and learn basic representation of numbers through symbols. The system we taught to bees was limited in several ways. [...] And yet it is remarkable bees displayed some capacity to understand numbers through symbols. (MORE - details)