5.Fruit Flies Think Before They Act
5.果蝇先想后行动
A fruit fly's lifespan is usually less than 60 days. That's not much time to develop advanced mental capabilities. But a study from Oxford University shows that fruit flies actually think before they act. They even take more time when making difficult decisions (although they obviously can't take more than 60 days).
一只果蝇的寿命通常不超过60天，这点时间对它们来说要发展高级智能并不多。但是牛津大学的一项研究发现果蝇通常会先想后行动。它们甚至会花很多时间做出艰难的决定，显然它们是不能花60天以上的时间来思考怎么做出选择。
To begin their experiment, the researchers trained Drosophila fruit flies to avoid a particular concentration of an odor. Then the flies were placed in a narrow chamber. At one end was the odor concentration to be avoided; at the other end was a different concentration of the same odor.When the odor concentrations were easy to distinguish, the fruit flies would quickly go to the correct end of the chamber almost every time. But when the concentrations were hard to tell apart, the fruit flies took much longer to decide, leading researchers to conclude that they were gathering information before making a decision.The researchers were able to predict the fruit flies' decision-making process with the same mathematical models used for humans and primates. This indicates a higher intelligence in fruit flies than was previously thought possible.
实验最开始，研究员们对果蝇进行训练，让它们避开有着特定浓度的气味，然后把它们放入一个狭窄的室内，一端没有气味，另一端则置有不同浓度的同种气味。当气味的浓度很容易区别的时候，果蝇基本上每次都能快速地选对正确的一端。当两端气味的浓度难以区分时，果蝇则会花更长的时间来做出决定，这使得研究者们相信它们这是在做出决定之前收集信息。借助用于研究人类及灵长类动物的同一数学模型，研究者们可以预测果蝇做决定的过程。比之于之前人类所认为的，这预示的是果蝇可能拥有更高级的智能。
4.Asian Elephants Comfort Others In Distress
4.亚洲象会安慰情绪低落的同伴
Consolation is rarely seen in animals, possibly because it may require empathy. But a study published in the journal PeerJ shows that Asian elephants will now join the select group of animals scientifically shown to display this behavior. Until now, the group has only included great apes, ravens and certain other corvids, and canines.
安慰这一行为在动物中是很少见，这可能是因为安慰是需要移情作用的。但是一项发布在PeerJ上的研究显示亚洲象会表现出这种行为，直到现在，会表现出这一行为的动物仅仅有猿，乌鸦以及其他一些鸦科动物，还有犬齿类动物。
A group of 26 captive Asian elephants in Thailand was observed for over a year. When an elephant became stressed by something like a nearby dog or snake, its ears and tail would stand out and it might even emit a roar. When this happened, the researchers observed that other elephants would rush to the distressed one to offer physical and vocal comfort.A consoling elephant tended to make a chirping sound, almost like it was calming a human baby with "shh." The comforting elephant might also use its trunk to softly touch the distressed elephant's face, or "hug" by putting its trunk in the distressed elephant's mouth. Nearby elephants might also respond as a group to help. The researchers also hope to study wild elephants to see if they also demonstrate this consolation behavior.
泰国一组有26头圈养的亚洲象被观察了一年多。当一头亚洲象因为附近的一只狗或者一条蛇而感到焦虑时，它的耳朵和尾巴就会突出来，甚至可能会发出吼叫声。当这种情况出现时，研究人员观察到其他大象会冲到（聚集到）这只焦虑的大象身边，通过声音和肢体接触给与它安慰。当一头大象在安慰别的大象时，它可能会发出低鸣声，就像它在用嘘嘘声安抚婴儿一样，也可能会用象鼻轻轻地触摸它的脸，或者把它的鼻子放进那头大象的嘴里，像是给它一个拥抱一样。附近的大象们也会集体性地做出反应，给与它帮助。研究者们也希望对野生大象进行研究，看看它们是否也会表现出这种安慰行为。
3.Wolves Are Better Copycats Than Dogs
3.狼比狗更擅长模仿
In a study published in the journal PLOS ONE, scientists found that wolves observe and learn from each other much better than dogs do.
在PLOS ONE 期刊上发表的一项研究中，科学家们发现，比起狗，狼更擅长相互观察和学习。
The scientists studied 14 wolves and 15 mongrel dogs, each approximately six months old. During the test, each animal watched a trained dog open a wooden box with its mouth or paw to get a food reward. Afterward, all the wolves, but only four of the dogs, were able to open the box. The wolves were also more likely to use the method they originally observed.The scientists repeated the experiment nine months later to see if the animals' age had been a factor. But it wasn't. Next, the researchers tested whether wolves are better problem solvers than dogs. Each animal tried to open the box without seeing it done first by a trained dog. Most of the wolves couldn't do it.The researchers believe that wolves are more dependent on each other, so they copy each other more easily than dogs. The scientists suspect that it's this behavior in wolves that formed the basis for the original social understanding between dogs and humans.
科学家们对14条狼和15条杂种狗进行了研究，它们都差不多6个月大。在测试期间，每条狼和狗都要观看一只受过训练的狗用它的嘴巴和爪子打开一个木盒子，最终得到食物奖励的过程。随后，受测试的狼都能成功打开盒子，而15条狗中只有4条能打开盒子。由此可见，这些狼更容易使用它们最初观察到的方法。科学家们在接下来的9个月里重复着这个实验，看看动物的年龄是否会是一个影响的因素。但实验否定了这个假设。接下来，研究者们对狼是否比狗更擅长解决问题做了试验。试验中，每个动物都要尝试打开盒子，前提是没有观看受过训练的狗完成这一过程。结果表明大多数狼都没能完成这一任务。研究者们认为狼更加依赖彼此，因此比起狗来，它们更容易互相模仿。科学家们怀疑，正是狼的这种模仿行为奠定了人驯化狗的基础。
2.Rats Have Memories Like Computers
2.老鼠和计算机一样有记忆功能
Like computers, rats have short-term, random-access memories that store information used in ongoing processes. Humans and crows also have these "working memories." In humans, this allows us to store and process information to play games, solve mental arithmetic problems, and follow conversations.
像计算机一样，老鼠也有短期的随机存取的记忆功能，这种功能可以存储。人和乌鸦也都有这种记忆功能，这对我们人类来说意味着我们在玩游戏，解决精神算法问题以及进行对话时可以对这些信息进行处理。
Researchers at the International School for Advanced Studies were surprised to find this type of memory system in a mammal as simple as a rat. They found that the rats responded to vibrations with their whiskers much as humans would with their fingertips. The rats' working memories helped them recognize and decide how to respond to these environmental stimuli. Without this type of RAM, rats wouldn't be able to use their experiences to figure out the best course of action.The researchers don't yet know which part of a rat's brain is responsible for working memory. Other researchers have identified the area in a crow's endbrain that contains its working memory. Since a crow's brain is structured differently from a mammal's brain, this shows that the development of cognitive abilities is possible in different brain structures—including some much simpler than a human brain.
高级国际研究学院的研究者们惊奇地发现哺乳动物的这种记忆系统和老鼠的一样简单。他们发现，就像人类用指尖感受震动一样，老鼠则用胡须来感受震动。老鼠的工作记忆功能帮助他们识别环境刺激，并对决定怎样对这些刺激做出反应。如果没有这种像电脑读写存储器一样具有存储功能的记忆系统，老鼠就不可能利用他们的经历来解决最佳的行动方案。研究者们也不知道老鼠大脑的哪个部位才是负责工作记忆的。其他一些研究者已经识别了乌鸦端脑中含有工作记忆功能的部位。由于乌鸦的大脑构造和哺乳动物的不同，这表明了大脑构造不同，认知能力的发展也可能不同，包括一些比人脑简单得多的。
1.Large Groups Of Lemurs Steal Food Behind Your Back
1.一大批狐猴在你背后偷吃食物
As an experiment in "social intelligence," Duke University researchers tested whether lemurs from big tribes or small groups were more likely to steal food from a human's plate when that person wasn't watching.In the first test, two humans sat with two plates of food. One faced the plate and the lemur as it entered the room. The other person turned his back on the plate and the lemur. In the second test, the humans sat in profile as the lemur entered the room. One person faced the plate, the other was turned away from the plate. In the third test, both humans wore black bands as they faced the plates. One person wore the band over his eyes, the other over his mouth.
在一项名为社会智能的实验中，来自杜克大学的研究者们对狐猴进行了测试，当人不看装着食物的盘子时，来自大部落的狐猴是否会比来自小部落的狐猴更有可能偷盘子里的食物呢？在第一组测试中，两个人坐着，面前分别放着一个装着食物的盘子。其中一个人面对盘子，第二个人则背对着盘子和狐猴。在第二组测试中，当狐猴进入房间时，他们两人侧坐着。其中一人面对着盘子，第二个人则远离盘子。在第三组测试中，两人面对盘子的同时都蒙着黑布条，其中一人用黑布条蒙住眼睛，另一个人则蒙住嘴巴。
Few of the lemurs understood the point of the black bands. But in the other tests, the lemurs from larger social groups were more likely than those from smaller groups to steal food behind a person's back. The lemurs all had the same brain size. So this suggests that complex social intelligence in primates, including humans, evolved from living (and stealing) in large social groups, not from increased brain size.
在第三组实验中，几乎没有狐猴明白黑布条在实验中的作用。但在其他几组实验中，来自大部落的狐猴比起来自小部落的更可能在一个人背后偷食物。实验中所有狐猴的大脑体积都一样。因此这表明了，灵长类动物所拥有的复杂的社会智能，包括人类，是从社会集体中生活演化而来，而不是大脑体积增大所致。
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