We like to think we humans are so special because we can express a range of emotions. It’s not that special, it turns out. Bees can not only feel happiness but also express it so well that their joy can spread to other bees.
In a study published in Science, a team of researchers discovered that good moods are contagious, even among insects with brains smaller than a sesame seed. Bumblebees can spread optimism.
Scientists gave one bee an unexpected hit of sugar water, which, to the bees, is a pleasant surprise that can turn a bad day around. It’d be like having a crappy day and then finding $20 in a pair of jeans you haven’t worn in months.
Suddenly, that gloomy day seems a little brighter.
Bees Can Feel Positivity—and Can Spread It To Other Bees
That bee’s behavior changed. It got exploratory, bolder in its explorations, willing to land on different types of flowers than it was used to, and quicker to do it. When other bees hung around this newly pepped-up bee, they too started acting all happy and adventurous, even though they hadn’t been given any sugar water. The vibe had spread.
To make sure this wasn’t just accidental copycatting, the researchers separated bees with barriers that allowed only certain senses to come into play —like touch and sight —or none at all. They found that bee positivity could be transmitted solely through sight. The bees didn’t need to touch or smell each other to catch good vibes.
They just had to see one another acting like everything was right as rain and peachy as can be, and suddenly, their little brains followed suit.
This phenomenon, known as “positive affective cognition,” is a cornerstone of empathy in animals with more complex nervous systems. Until now, it hadn’t been seen in any invertebrates. Which means that your average garden bee might be a lot more emotionally tuned in than we ever gave it credit for.
The implications are significant. Emotional contagion may not be a luxury of large-brained creatures, but a fundamental feature of social life itself. Optimism might not just be an attitude, but a survival strategy that keeps us all going, no matter the species.
That bee you see buzzing around the garden is just spreading pollen; it might just be spreading joy.
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