Why can't our democracy be like the honeybees?

GHN News Staff - A biologist who studies the bees
wonders why humans can't be more like the ants and the bees.  Just what
are these insect characteristics humans could emulate?


According to Thomas Seeley, professor of
neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University, in his new book, "Honeybee Democracy," those
bees make very intense decisions when there is a matter of life or
death in the hive.  This could be a choice of where to live or an
overpopulation.



When there are too many bees, two
thirds of them will move out of the hive with the Queen while there is a
search for potential sites in hollow trees.  When the right one is
found, the bees perform a dance of celebration.

“A
scout adjusts how long she dances according to the goodness of the
site,” said Seeley. “She has a built-in ability to judge site quality,
and she is honest; if the site is mediocre she won't advertise it
strongly.”

Other
scouts take their turn and do the same, with the most vigorous dances
signaling the best sites.  When the number of bees visiting the new site
reaches a certain point, then the decision is made to use it as the
next home for the overpopulation.

In
short independent bees make individual contributions to the pieces of
information upon which those in the hive make decisions.  Ants do much
the same, Seeley said.

“Consistencies
like these suggest that there are general principles of organization
for building groups far smarter than the smartest individuals in them,”
Seeley explains further.

So
let's watch and learn from the bees, Seeley suggests, so that
collective decision-making is fair, equitable and involves everyone in
the process to make sure it is the best decision for the group.