“A group of British schoolchildren may be the youngest scientists ever to have their work published in a peer-reviewed journal. The kids report that buff-tailed bumblebees can learn to recognize nourishing flowers based on colors and patterns.” #образование - × × ×

“The data as they presented it is compelling,” said psychologist Laurence Maloney of NYU, who wrote a commentary on the paper. “It’s a very impressive performance by a group of students of that age. I wouldn’t have thought they could do it.” - × × ×

“Getting the paper published was a struggle as well. In particular, several journals got stuck on the fact that the paper doesn’t cite any references. Lotto says they left the references out because the historical context wasn’t what inspired the kids, anyway. “That wasn’t the basis for doing the experiment, it was what was interesting to them. That’s the driver of any quality science study,” Lotto said. “That’s what I tell my PhD students: Don’t do any reading. Figure out why you wake up in the morning, what you’re passionate about, and then read the literature. But don’t figure out what’s interesting based on what other people say.” - × × ×