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Octopus in tank lined with black dots
Do Invertebrates Have Emotions?
And how do scientists go about answering that question?
Do Invertebrates Have Emotions?
Do Invertebrates Have Emotions?

And how do scientists go about answering that question?

And how do scientists go about answering that question?

insects, neuroscience

A photo of a termite’s head with its brain clearly visible
Termite Brains Anticipate Future Visual Challenges
Chloe Tenn | Feb 1, 2022 | 2 min read
Dampwood termites with the potential to leave the colony have larger optic lobes before ever being exposed to different visual environments, an example of predictive brain plasticity.
A black and brown ant stands over various sizes of whitish purple, oval shaped larvae and yellow, oblong eggs
A Single Transcription Factor Changes Ants to Queens
Abby Olena, PhD | Nov 5, 2021 | 3 min read
The transcription factor can also drive the opposite transition depending on which hormone activates it, according to a new study.
Image of the Day: Mantis Glasses
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Feb 9, 2018 | 1 min read
Researchers outfitted praying mantises with miniature spectacles to investigate how they see the world. 
Photos of the Year
Katarina Zimmer | Dec 24, 2017 | 2 min read
From a plastic-munching coral to see-through frogs, here are The Scientist’s favorite images from 2017.
Image of the Day: A Shrimp and a Cockroach
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Oct 2, 2017 | 1 min read
In the mantis shrimp brain, scientists uncover mushroom bodies—learning and memory structures typically found in the brains of insects. 
Genes Tied to Wasps Recognizing Faces
Ashley P. Taylor | Jun 14, 2017 | 4 min read
The brains of Polistes paper wasps express different genes when identifying faces than when distinguishing between simple patterns, a study finds.
Animal Magnetism
Catherine Offord | May 1, 2016 | 2 min read
A photosensitive protein behind the retinas of cockroaches plays a role in light-dependent, directional magnetosensitivity.
Hawkmoth Brains Slow During Dusk Meals
Bob Grant | Jun 15, 2015 | 2 min read
This helps the insects collect as much visual information as possible from the gently swaying flowers on which they dine.
Through a Spider’s Eyes
Brittany Taylor | Apr 1, 2015 | 4 min read
Deciphering how a jumping spider sees the world and processes visual information may yield insights into long-standing robotics problems.
A Spider's Eye View
Brittany Taylor | Mar 31, 2015 | 1 min read
Cornell researchers probe the brains of jumping spiders to gain insight into the arachnid's visual processing capabilities.
Cooperative Control
Sandhya Sekar | Feb 10, 2015 | 3 min read
With the help of a virus that infects its prey’s nervous system, a parasitoid wasp coerces a lady beetle to protect its young.
2014’s Most “Liked” Images of the Day
Bob Grant | Dec 23, 2014 | 1 min read
The best of The Scientist’s popular daily image posts
Waiting in the Wings
Erin Weeks | Dec 1, 2013 | 4 min read
A century’s worth of collected butterflies shed light on how climate change threatens the survival of early-emerging species.
Neurons Talk Without Synapses
Ed Yong | Nov 21, 2012 | 3 min read
Neighboring neurons in an insect’s antennae can block each other without sharing any synaptic connections.
Flight of the Honeybee
Richard P. Grant | Dec 1, 2011 | 2 min read
Editor’s Choice in Neuroscience
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