“It is the fine-tuning between the degree of cooperation and behavioral diversity that ultimately drives collective intelligence,” says Planas-Sitjà. “If personality matters in these small animals, we can imagine the impact it can have on animals living in societies with additional layers of social complexity.”
Reflective flies
Sometimes we mute our gut feelings to make decisions we think are logical, even if they feel wrong on a visceral level. Other times, we follow our deep convictions about something without learning from our mistakes.
Fruit flies, it turns out, could teach us a lot about being more self-aware in our deliberations.
Research shows fruit flies are extremely perceptive in how they integrate external and internal information to shape their every move. When choosing between two odors, for example, the more similar the scents, the longer the flies hesitate, as if they’re tallying the pros and cons.
When faced with a nice-tasting but innutritious reward, or a bitter-tasting but nutritious sugary substance, flies can compute the net value of that choice and white-knuckle through the unpleasant-tasting food in return for nutrition.
