from the but-the-honey-gives-you-a-terrific-hit dept.
Research into Honey Bees has found that their behavioural responses change when they are affected by cocaine (full text).
Bees developed a preference for locations at which they received cocaine, and when foraging at low quality sucrose feeders increase their foraging rate in response to cocaine treatment. Cocaine also increased reflexive proboscis extension to sucrose, and sting extension to electric shock. Both of these simple reflexes are modulated by biogenic amines. This shows that systemic cocaine treatment alters behavioural responses that are modulated by biogenic amines in insects. Since insect reward responses involve both octopamine and dopamine signalling, we conclude that cocaine treatment altered diverse reward-related aspects of behaviour in bees. Our findings further validate the honey bee as a model system for understanding the behavioural impacts of cocaine, and potentially other drugs of abuse.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 23 2014, @09:40PM
Merry Christmas, everyone!
(Score: 2) by Jeremiah Cornelius on Tuesday December 23 2014, @09:43PM
How could blowing a little snow stop honeybees from having a merry Christmas?
You're betting on the pantomime horse...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 23 2014, @10:05PM
I snort more coke, so I can forage more pollen, so I can afford more coke, so I can forage more pollen...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 23 2014, @10:45PM
Je fais d'la poudre, pour travailler plus, pour faire plus de poudre
(Score: 3, Insightful) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday December 23 2014, @10:12PM
It always seems like people intentionally go for the Ig Nobel. I think that should disqualify you.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 24 2014, @10:18PM
Agreed. They should also disqualify the ones that intentionally go for the Nobel prize.
(Score: 1) by theronb on Tuesday December 23 2014, @10:21PM
I want to meet the person who wrote this grant application and got it approved.
(Score: 3, Funny) by redneckmother on Tuesday December 23 2014, @10:54PM
Screw that - I want to get hold of their lab materials.
Mas cerveza por favor.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 23 2014, @11:57PM
The real question is "does it affect their ability to forage for more cocaine?"
Coke certainly changes a person's priorities. Does it do the same to bees? Do they stay up all night making honey? Do they get paranoid and cause trouble for other bees?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 24 2014, @12:16AM
And what happens when they crash after a binge of cocaine use?
Do they get depressed and decide not to work anymore?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Rich on Wednesday December 24 2014, @12:52AM
...a honeybee on coke is likely preferable to a swarm of hornets on meth.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Wednesday December 24 2014, @09:52AM
So I'm not at all against animal testing in medical studies (think it's pretty fucking stupid for cosmetics and stuff though), and it's not like these are intelligent, feeling creatures like chimps or something - I mean they're fucking insects ferchrissakes, but getting them hooked on coke and then electrocuting them? I can't help but feel a bit sorry for them.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 24 2014, @02:20PM
Just sayan'.
(Score: 1) by Stardner on Wednesday December 24 2014, @05:13PM