How a Bee Thinks

April 23, 2025 @ 03:00 pm to 04:00 pm

Andrew Barron, Macquarie University

W203 Millennium Science Complex
University Park

Neuroscience is providing new insights into what it’s like to think like a bee. As one of nature’s most important pollinators, honey bees play a crucial role in agriculture and ecosystems. In this talk, Andrew Barron will explore how honey bees think, how researchers study their cognition, and how millions of years of coevolution with flowers have shaped their intelligence. He will also discuss the latest discoveries in insect neurobiology and what they reveal about the cognitive abilities and experiences of bees.

Andrew Barron is a Professor of Comparative Neuroscience and Director of The Macquarie Minds and Intelligences Initiative at Macquarie University. He earned his PhD in Zoology from the University of Cambridge in 1999 and has dedicated his career to studying honey bee neurobiology. His research focuses on understanding the intelligence of bees, how they navigate complex social behaviors with small brains, and improving honey bee health and welfare. He has received fellowships from esteemed organizations such as the Australian Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, The Fulbright Commission, and The Royal Society of London.