Surprising Intelligence in Small Packages

Way back when, there was a myth that people with bigger brains were more intelligent than others. Then there's the observation where someone can pay mucho dinero for higher education, but are dreadful at simple logic. I can name some people that believe they're the brightest bulbs in the chandelier but are actually quite dim, but never mind about that now. So, how does this brain size and intelligence thing work in smaller creatures?

Credit: Pixabay / DrScythe

The brain of a bumblebee is about the size of a sesame seed. Does that explain the time I got stung by one that flew into the open window of my delivery truck, smacked into me, then stung me when it wasn't my fault? Those bad boys pack a punch. But I digress. These fuzzy little critters are capable of learning, and others can learn by watching their fellow travelers.

Bats are masters of echolocation, but what happens in a crowd? Seems like there would be a heap of interference and collisions happening, but they dial down the noise. In fact, they're being studied for biomimetics purposes: wireless communication and interference.

We looked at how chickens can be manipulative as well as intelligent a spell back. Their intelligence has been underestimated for ages, but we've learned that they know about numbers and have reasoning abilities.

Then there's the intelligence of something without a brain: slime mold. Colonial fungi can actually learn and share information. Then, when they split apart, the separate colonies are better for the experience.

Our Creator has endowed aspects of his creation with levels of intelligence and communication that many of us never dreamed was possible. Ask a Darwinist for an explanation, and you'll get a nice story based on conjecture and assumptions, but not science.

More details on the teasers listed about can be found at "Animals Can Be Smarter Than You Think".




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