Being A 'Pinhead' Is Just Fine - So Say The Experts!

The next time someone calls you a 'pinhead', you should take it as a compliment - That's because researchers recently revealed that the size of an animals' brain, has no bearing on its intelligence level.

Instead, they believe that larger brains simply support bigger bodies that have more muscles to coordinate and more sensory information to decipher.

Intelligence, on the other hand, is determined by the complexity of the neuronal connections, in the brain.

The findings were revealed from a study performed by Dr. Lars Chittka from London's Queen Mary University and Dr. Jeremy Niven from Cambridge University and is based on the behavior of insects, primarily bees and ants.

While the brains of these tiny creatures measure less than one million neurons, they are capable of completing the most complex tasks with relative ease.

Ants, for example can distinguish between symmetrical and non-symmetrical shapes, communicate by touching each other with their antennas or by leaving behind a pheromone, (chemical trail) and even clean and feed their larvae, just like human beings.

Honey bees are equally amazing - these tiny creatures are able to conduct different kinds of tasks that include guarding their hives, stinging to defend themselves, scouting for food, fanning their wings to provide ventilation, and even recognizing faces from a variety of angles, distances and even based on emotions - something even our smartest computers can't do.

The scientists are in fact hoping that they will be able to continue to delve into the brains of these pinheaded insects even further, to figure out how they are configured and then be able emulate that, to develop smarter computer programs.

Still doubtful? Then think about this fact - The brain of a whale weighs a massive 9.1kg (20lbs) and yet they are no smarter than human beings whose brains weigh a measly1.4kg (about 3lbs) - AND the fact that the frontal lobe of Albert Einstein's brain was vacant! Now would you like to be a pinhead?

sources: abc.net.au, sidewaysnews.com