Tom Seeley: Honeybee Democracy

Tom Seeley, author of "Honeybee Democracy," and professor of neurobiology and behavior, reviews the history of behavioral studies of foraging honeybees and explains the process by which swarming honeybees choose a new home in his November 17, 2011 lecture to Cornell Association of Professors Emeriti (CAPE).

[@thenewbeejournal]

Absolutely fascinating. It gives me purpose to know that someone as brilliant and dedicated 100% to study bees for decades, still find new behaviors in this amazing creatures we hold so close to us.

[@noelhamilton8332]

Stunning work tom i note that you may have used the butting dance in your meeting with humans. And wonder is the cause of loss of some hair follicles. Absolutely going to buy your book. When finances allow you are brilliant, thanks for your dedication. Noel new zealand

[@ragnarzetterberg9032]

Everybody should read 'Honybee Democracy' by Tom Seeley. Bees have been living on the Earth for att least 100 miljon years. Humans has been here for a mere 250' years... We try to manage the bees but they suffer severely under our honeygreed. Tom is telling us to listen to and learn from a little creature that is better adopted than humans to survive the challenges that our planet is facing.

[@thomasmills3934]

I'm so grateful I found Mr. Seeley. Turns out I was wrong about bees... Lol

[@cristianmolina6889]

What an amazing research and genius behind all this study of bee beehaviour . Absolutely mindblowing. Deserves a ton of respect for such passionate investigation and care for these marvelous insects.

[@MathUDX]

Missing one extra ingredient of success: -use an expressive voting method Bees don't merely vote yay or nay on locations, they effectively use a form of Score Voting. Score Voting is agreed by a number of voting method scientists to be one of the best of all methods.

[@Spudst3r]

Crucially, unlike people the bees have a unity of purpose. It seems they all want the same thing, a large box with a small hole. But maybe it's more complex than that: those worried about protection demand a small opening, while those helping the queen demand space, and they just settle on a compromise that meets both needs.

[@felipegomez5084]

I'm really enjoyed this presentation. What a great work Thanks a lot for sharing Kind regards from Chile 🇨🇱

[@bee-u-tifuladventures4771]

Thank you for sharing this video. I watched it in its entirety and was able to learn a great deal. I am a fairly new beekeeper and have a thirst for knowledge. Thank you Dr. Tom Seeley, and all of your staff, for your abundance of research and sharing your findings. :-)

[@lonniemixon8685]

So much information! Thank you for sharing, Mr Seeley!

[@sonofthunder.]

i often wondered or guessed pheremone played a part,i never would've guessed it was beeping headbutts,....amazed

[@BigBugBuzz]

Excellent lecture! Very inspirational and informative. I am especially intrigued by the purpose of the quorum.

[@africitizen]

I spend all my day watch a watch this video. It's great work and gives us many information to improve decision making.

[@connect741]

Excellent content and the video's audio and production is fantastic. Great job!!

[@lynnaanderson9303]

Heard about Tom Seeley and his book "Honeybee Democracy" at the PA State Beekeepers Conference this month and decided to check out what he had to say. Good speaker and fascinating topic. Want to learn how to make an artificial swarm in the spring of 2016 and started researching by hearing his talk at Cornell. Thanks.

[@hagensteele4447]

Very interesting. Thanks for the upload.

[@billiamc1969]

Thanks for posting this video...

[@TheSLY07]

Good job! thank you for sharing this interesting video greetings from a bee in france :)

[@jhornsby35]

Not a scientist or a bee person but this was a very well thought out video and good lecture loved every minute of it. very informative good information.

[@adamplace9449]

I am not a scientist, but a bee person Being a cronenberg-esque human-bee hybrid has made integration into human society painfully difficult, but I manage. The people who used to be my friends before the incident taunt me. Whenever I get mad they say “what are you gonna do honey boy? Sting me? Buzz off!” And I just get so upset that I leave, but I meditate and I pray, and the Lord gives me strength. I think there must some purpose in this twisted existence, I must remind myself to not be so arrogant as to think that I know the path better than the one who designed it. His way is the only way, and I must walk His way before I know His plan.

[@fultonbrown9251]

Not scientist? Lol beekeepers are more scientist than any scientist

[@tasmedic]

Nobody turned up. Even the piano player sent in a sick note. Pity, it was a good lecture.

[@williamwrenner]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESEARCH!!! :D

[@abinslaeh]

Thank you for good efforts and sharing .

[@roxicaciorapica2333]

Fascinating !

[@shermancouch9964]

Thank you Tom Seeley for your excellent work. The information shared is both enjoyable, and enriching. I have made many mental notes based upon these behaviors (of bees), and plan on using anecdotes build around them in the future. SC

[@madisenkornele3227]

The mechanism of quorum sensing could be pheromones. The more bees in an area, the more intense a "This is the spot" message via pheromone.

[@jonathanwisk5830]

i had to watch this video for a quiz, wasnt looking forward to it, found it very interesting.

[@aliseyed3298]

WOW, Thank you Tom

[@VictorFursov]

Thank you for interesting Video! Good luck in insects collecting! Best greetings from beekeepers!!!!

[@TheBaconWizard]

Truly fascinating. I wonder what motivates the bees that "beep" a dancing scout?

[@afrakes4510]

Do you have any data on altitude encoding?

[@MenwithHill]

Good stuff.

[@bobchiggs]

It does not appear to be democratic but republic. Even as the US is a republic. The few, as in the electoral college, make the decision for the masses. The few most experienced and knowledgeable make the decision. Even Socrates thought a democracy was a bad thing but that only the well informed should be involved in a democratic type voting, avoiding the mass and influenced mob rule. His analogy was who you want directing a ship, an experienced wise captain or a vote of all the passengers. It seems the same with bees. The most experienced few become the scout bees to make the decision for the swarm. And their decision is based on the good of the swarm, not on their own individual interest of persuading the others to go their way to be the one in charge, but giving up their finding or choice if another choice is better for the swarm.

[@notsofastfriend]

Bees don't have egos nor a parasitic ruling class... Must be nice!

[@hj-pd3tl]

They also have individual will as workers sometimes attempt to lay their own eggs. The only reason they don't grow is because other workers recognize the genetically different eggs and eat them. They are kept in check only by their tribalist instincts.

[@ArturrKania]

How does beep to come into being? By participation of respiratory system, spiracle?

[@paulborisade268]

quite helpful

[@mohammedbin-alam2257]

to be honest, I came here because my class required it.

[@jannassary]

4nk u 4 da upload

[@sarahmurabito9391]

same year my favorite song came out.ironically named after this insect:

[@Edwardegraham]

I'm into Devas and Rudolph Steiner, and I ask you this: is it possible that the Spirit of Place/Land CALLS the Swarms, wanting them, and their Collective experts, the bees themselves, choose the best option?

[@Maxander2001]

+Edward Graham Possible to imagine, unlikely in reality.

[@isesise2658]

Could be. We dont fully understand things.

[@listen2meokidoki264]

Sorry for not having the time to fully watch this video. But I do wonder how humans can have a democracy when, unlike bees, many humans can be irrational. aka religious.The lecture, for me, begs the question, can hive collapse be caused by a breakdown in the behaviours? Can they be psychologically impaired by one or more chemical or simply psychological stress brought on by just too many things going wrong.

[@Dobrojuto.yt-7]

Democracy but not monarchy. Then why do You call her the Queen, we in Serbia call her the mother

[@gordonspond8223]

Because traditionally that what she was called for centuries... Traditions are hard to change.

[@ThoAppelsin]

The headbutt part was a little sad. Sure it makes them achieve the consensus probably like a couple of hours earlier, but it wouldn't worth hurting the poor bee psychologically. And I am sure that they would be less likely to decide for the suboptimal, if only they were allowing each other to insist on their findings.

[@paulin77]

Sometimes a "chairman" needs to nudge a "speaker" to shut up and sit down when he/she is wasting the groups time trying to persuade them on a poorer choice (when it's clear to almost everybody that there is a good choice presented by now). You don't need to be hurt by this, but learn, grow up, pay attention.

[@jannassary]

Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth), and find with skill the spacious paths of its Lord: there issues from within their bodies a drink of varying colours, wherein is healing for men: verily in this is a Sign for those who give thought.

[@tasmedic]

Anyone who leaves an unsecured firearm lying around in his house should be sent to a remote island and forced to eke out a living on his own, away from society. Oh, wait a minute, that's what they did with him. Devil's island king of thing! Discharging a firearm, however, is not the way to greet unwanted guests, and he ought to have been prosecuted for that. Just take his fishing licence off him for a few months should do it.

[@gordonspond8223]

.... that's all you got out if this ??? Apparently you don't have any relatives out in the country, nor do you understand the concept of people valuing their privacy and private property...

[@jannassary]

And from the fruit of the date-palm and the vine, ye get out wholesome drink and food: behold, in this also is a sign for those who are wise. (Al-Nahl 16:67) `And thy Lord taught the Bee to build its cells in hills, on trees, and in (men's) habitations; (Al-Nahl 16:68)