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Cockroaches at Their Best at Night

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the like-computer-science-and-astronomy dept.

Science_afficionado writes "A new study has found that cockroaches are morons in the morning and geniuses in the evening in terms of their learning capacity. Previous studies suggest that the learning capacity of both people and rats are also affected by their internal biological clocks. But the effect is far more dramatic in cockroaches and it is the first time it has been found in insects. And, no, the researchers didn't try giving their cockroaches a sip of coffee to see if it revived them!"

3 of 98 comments (clear)

  1. Previous studies? by Metaphorically · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Previous studies suggest that the learning capacity of both people and rats are also affected by their internal biological clocks.

    Anybody got pointers on this previous research for humans? That could change my daily schedule...
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  2. Re:Caffeine Kills Bugs - That's Why Plants Make It by AceJohnny · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Then how come a vegas roach trap is effective, even through it's based on coffee grounds?

    Inquiring minds want to know!

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  3. Re:Learning is an outdated concept by Mox-Dragon · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Actually, you've got it backwards. Operant and respondant conditioning are vacuous concepts that are at least 60 or 70 years old. They're lacking in explanatory power and have been shown false by almost every study of the processes of language learning ever. In fact, the method of teaching a foreign language based on good ol' BF Skinner's ideas about "learning" was the most spectacular failure that teaching has ever seen.