so if the human brain is a collection of neurons which communicate to one another through chemical signals, and a hive of bees is a collection of brains (with bees attached) which communicate to one another, it seems that a beehive (or a nest of termites, etc) are somehow analogous to a brain.
my question is this- what is the intelligence of a hive of bees or a mound of ants, not in human terms but in relation to another animals? dog intelligence? sheep? what the foo?
Apples - Oranges
Insect “hive” intelligence for all it’s noted efficiency in doing the jobs connected with propagating beekind is too dis-associated relative to integrated, relatively complex, individual mammalian minds(re your examples) to make for meaningful “intelligence” (as we define it) comparisions between the two.
Question is analogous to what/who is more intelligent Kasparov or “Deep Blue” the multi-processor computer + chess program that beat him?
Astro’s right. Hives aren’t nearly complex enough to be analogous to brains, but some of the concepts learned from studying hives (namely, coordinated group behavior without a central command structure) can be applied to brains. But comparing hives to brains is impossible. They evolved for two different reasons, under two different conditions, and were shaped by many different processes.
Just to point out the Minkman’s link is NOT to a column by Cecil Himself, but a MAILBAG Answer by the Straight Dope Science Advisory Staff, specifically our bug guy, Doug, a professional entomologist.
And therefore you may want to read these discussions in the “Comment on Mailbag Answers” forum:
Ants and ‘Hive Minds’ - 20 replies
Quick thing about Hive Mind - 8 replies