JOY Drive

6 Feb 2025

Dr Scarlett Howard: Bees and ordering numbers

Animals, Natural Sciences

Numbers are all around us, and as humans, we naturally organise them in a particular way, typically from left to right. But did you know we are not the only ones who do this? Research has found that some animals, including birds and bees, also have a mental number line. This challenges the idea that numerical thinking is unique to humans or large-brained animals.

A recent study revealed that bees, despite having tiny brains, tend to order numbers from left to right, just like many humans.

But how do researchers even test something like this in bees? And what does this tell us about how brains, big and small, process information?

Guest: Dr Scarlett Howard, Lecturer. School of Biological Sciences at Monash University

Presenter: Warren Andrew

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 7:37 — 10.5MB)

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5 Feb 2026

Jesse Matheson: Mardi Gras Cancels its After Party

LGBTIQA+ Community, Personal Safety, Popular Culture, Society & Culture

The cancellation of the official Mardi Gras after-party has raised big questions for festival-goers and the broader community. Jesse Matheson ...

5 Feb 2026

Professor Emerita Thea van de Mortel: Why We Get Sick as Soon as the Holiday Starts

Health, Natural Sciences, Places & Travel, Science & Medicine

Many people push through stress and deadlines, only to feel unwell the moment they finally stop. Thea van de Mortel ...

5 Feb 2026

Associate Professor Vincent Ho: Ultra-processed Foods Increasing Bowel Cancer Rates In Under 50s

Diet and Nutrition, Health, Science & Medicine

Rates of bowel cancer are rising in people under 50, and researchers are increasingly linking this shift to ultra-processed foods. ...