By Carlos Riollano, age 11
Scientists at Queen Mary University of London have found that bees play and can have fun just like humans. The study, published by the journal Science Direct, found that bumblebees played with toys even if they didn’t have an incentive to do so—proving that perhaps bees have more feelings than we think!
For the study, researchers set up two connected containers, one with a nest and the other with a feeding area. In one container there were small wooden balls, and the researchers found that the bees went out of their way to roll around on them.
The researchers say this met all the criteria of play: The bees were not getting a reward or food for rolling the balls, the action was not normal behavior for them, and they were in a stress-free environment.
The study’s first author, Samadi Galpayage, explains that insects might experience more joy than we think. “It will hopefully encourage us to respect and protect life on Earth evermore,” she said to NPR.
