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Bees like to roll little wooden balls as a form of play
- richardatlarge 4y agoI’ve heard it claimed that this behavior is just play, but all juvenile bees need to learn coordination given the way they tumble about their world. A genetic predisposition to “enjoy” play would encourage this learning just as a baby’s sucking reflex encourages the learning to suck voluntarily
- feet 4y agoYou make it sound as though what we recognize as "play" in humans and other species is somehow not practicing coordination
- richardatlarge 4y agoI’m referring to some claims by researchers that this play has no utility for the bees, which I think is false; sorry, wasn’t clear
- dang 4y agoRecent and related: Bumble bees play, according to new research - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33369572 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33369572 - Oct 2022 (76 comments)