We look at bee behavior and from our "planned" approach to the world say that
bees are instinctual and hard-wired. From some larger vantage point we may
someday come to view human behavior as hard-wired and instinctive albeit
within a greater domain than the bees. Bees may within a much more limited
domain of awareness be said to plan. How can we speak with such assurance
about whether or not bees plan when we have such a poorly developed idea how
are own brain functions? This I believe reveals more about the prejudices of
ourselves than any well understood knowledge of how people and bee brains
work. However useful the concepts of instinct and evolution are, we have a
huge gap in how brains function. We understand how neurons fire and can
converse at ease with others but between the two extremes are great areas of
ignorance. I agree that we do not have to introduce religion into the
equation, another unfathomable, but to repeat the old saws about instinct,
evolution, hard-wired brains is to place worn labels on brain functioning
which is poorly understood. We cannot agree on what consciousness is in
humans therefore how can we then assert that bees lack consciousness. The
discussion ranks with how many angels can fit on the head of a pin, and what
the true religion is.

Contact me at:
       Rick Green
       8 Hickory Grove Lane
       Ballston Lake, NY 12019
       (518) 384-2539
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