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Implausibilibuddy t1_j20l7ya wrote

Reply to comment by GetsGold in TIL honeybees can understand the concept of zero. by BogdanAnime

What controls for the possibility that they associate the symbols as being "dangerous" to their chance of getting a reward and therefore avoid the card with the most symbols, rather than choose the card with zero symbols?

I know it sounds like the same thing but there's a subtle yet important difference.

Plus even if they were picking the card with no symbols, that doesn't mean they understand the mathematical concept of zero, just that they understand the concept of something being absent. Practically all animals get this. They'll pick a path where there are no predators, they'll go foraging/hunting when there is no food, etc..

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I_see_dumb_poeple t1_j21ahc4 wrote

My dog will carefully pick a place to shit with 0 shits as not to stand in shit while shitting because that would be shitty. Dogs know about 0 for sure.

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GetsGold t1_j21o3oa wrote

This isn't just knowing something vs. nothing, this is about understanding the order property of numbers and of zero being one of those numbers.

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GetsGold t1_j21oge4 wrote

They were taught that fewer symbols is better, and then applied that logic when no symbols became a possibility. Regardless of what they based this association on, they appeared to learn less vs. more and apply that concept to 0, not just learn none vs. some.

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