[Quantum-ms] Mark Your Calendar 11/7: Puzzle- Solving Bumblebees Show a Capacity for Complex Learning

[Xintian Tina Wang]

*EE Seminar Series: **Puzzle-solving bumblebees show a capacity for complex
learning that is shaped by observer and demonstrator characteristics
<https://www.ee.columbia.edu/events/ee-seminar-puzzle-solving-bumblebees-show-capacity-complex-learning-shaped-observer-and>*

*November 7, 2024*






*12:00 PM - 1:00 PMLocation: EE Conference Room, 1300 Mudd BuildingAlice D.
BridgesCentre for Cognition in Small BrainsSchool of Biosciences,University
of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK*

*Abstract*

The astonishing behavioral repertoires of social insects have historically
been thought to be largely innate, constrained by limited brainpower and
short lifespans. For example, the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris
is capable of learning even complex, non-natural behaviour both through
individual trial and error and via social learning, and of sustaining local
variations of behaviour as a socially-transmitted 'culture'. However,
recent research suggests that the bumblebees can achieve a feat previously
only seen in humans: they can learn a behavior from others that is so
complex that they could not reasonably have replicated it in their own
lifetime through individual trial and error learning. This ability is
thought to underlie the expansive, superlatively cumulative culture seen in
humans, and was thought to fundamentally set us apart from non-humans. The
ability of naive bumblebees to learn this novel behaviour successfully from
trained demonstrators differed between individuals, with both observer and
demonstrator behaviour affecting its acquisition.

Bridges et al., Bumblebees socially learn behaviour too complex to innovate
alone, Nature, 627, pages 572–578 (2024),
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__doi.org_10.1038_s41586-2D024-2D07126-2D4&d=DwIFaQ&c=009klHSCxuh5AI1vNQzSO0KGjl4nbi2Q0M1QLJX9BeE&r=SD-9ztpHDQVkXLFc0zdc9RZWqGhdQ2vAJZ0O73eMlt0&m=whHAhR-QunAIWPHA4ZwdSPmEoyi4n3I3YEsXWe5U0hNg4WZOIL5cZpWFcvLPnmjh&s=ZoNGB24xA_O_a5lIN5pLKwZckxC7UsH8fV-dmrflGUk&e= 
*--- *

*Tina (Xintian) Wang*
*Events & External Relations Manager*
Department of Electrical Engineering
<https://www.ee.columbia.edu/content/xintian-tina-wang>
Mobile: 212-854-5019 (Mudd 1310)

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