Upsilon Andromedae/cc by 2.0

 
Whether it's for brilliance, bravery, or breathtaking ability, these animals take home the prize.

• What a mom. A sweet homeless dog deserves a parenting award for helping her puppies beat the heat.
• Brainy parrots deserve a spot on the kindergarten honor roll—not in a cage.
• Danny Ocean could get some pointers from these crafty crows.
• Therapists would commend honeybees' openness about their feelings.
• But maybe dogs, with their uncanny ability to understand us, are really the best therapists.
• Rescued feline Rusty snagged a catnip reward from PETA for saving his guardian's life.
• For best eyesight, it's not bats or flies. Look no further than the jellyfish. (Too bad experimenters can’t see that they need to be left alone.)

Written by Michelle Sherrow

Although consumers don’t necessarily see “Made in China” on honey labels, a new exposé published in the UK’s Globe and Mail tells of the almost spy-thriller-like process in which honey produced in China travels through southeast Asia and onto millions of tables—and into millions of stomachs—around the world.
 

don hankins/cc by 2.0

In China, where the overwhelming majority of the honey ingested globally originates, beekeepers attempt to keep bees alive by feeding them antibiotics that are banned in North America because the drugs can seep into and contaminate the honey. The honey is often intentionally mislabeled as originating elsewhere, and is also diluted with sugar and corn syrup.

In a companion article, the National Academy of Sciences reports that the U.S. bee population has seen a dramatic decline in recent years due to inbreeding and habitat loss, and that changes must be made to end the bees’ spiral toward extinction. Agave nectar, anyone?

digital cat/CC by 2.0

Need to figure out the quickest route to a destination? Skip the GPS and ask a bee. Turns out bees are really good at math, especially when it comes to solving the "traveling salesman problem," which involves computing the shortest distance between two locations. These are calculations that can take a computer days to complete. So if you're worried that your math skills aren't sufficient to make you an "A" student, maybe you'll succeed as a bee student!

Impressed with these apian academics' calculating nature? A great way to show it is by letting our little black-and-yellow buddies keep their honey—here's why.

Written by Jeff Mackey

ace-clipart / CC

Bugs are fascinating, and if anyone tries to tell you different, have them check out this article, which offers proof that many insects are tiny geniuses who are capable of counting, categorizing objects, and recognizing human faces. Recent studies show that even though their brains are oh-so-teeny-tiny, ants, bees, and other braniac bugs are brilliant creatures. There is overwhelming evidence that brain size has no effect on intelligence and that in many cases a bigger brain is not a smarter brain.

One study shows that honeybees, whose behavioral abilities rival that of some vertebrates, can determine whether or not shapes are symmetrical, can classify objects according to sameness and difference, and will stop flying after passing a predetermined number of landmarks.

I bet if you tried you could think of a few humans who struggle with those three tasks. I've been known to have a little trouble with that last one, myself.

So the next time you see one of these clever critters, keep in mind their ingenious minds, and let them live their complex, profound lives. We've got just the thing to help you.

Written by Logan Scherer