Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · 19h

A few of my ideas on PhD student training

Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 1d

Encouraging independence, creativity and diversity helps supervisors shape future leaders and spark breakthroughs. www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/how-t... #Academia #HigherEd #AcademicChatter #AcademicSky #PhDsky @qmul.bsky.social @larschittka.bsky.social

How to train PhD Jedi

Training PhD students is less about supervision and more about empowerment. By fostering independence, creativity and diversity, supervisors can nurture the next generation of scientific leaders, and ...

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · 2d

Coming soon: Response-specific behavioral plasticity in habituation triggered by repeated visual looming stimuli in foraging bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), by Dissegna, Andrea Chittka, Lars and Chiandetti, Cinzia psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

APA PsycNet

psycnet.apa.org

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

luciecharlesneuro.bsky.social @luciecharlesneuro.bsky.social · 10d

At our launching event "Mind, Tech, and Wellbeing" for our new Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour at QMUL! Follow us on here @queenmarycbb.bsky.social to hear more about our research
@qmul.bsky.social @larschittka.bsky.social

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

Jerome Beetz @beetzjerome.bsky.social · 11d

Insect spatial memory is thought to be based on panoramic snapshots that are modelled as retinotopic images. This idea won't allow a distinction of landmarks from the scene. Unexpectedly, our data suggest that 🐝 learn 3D-objects as individual landmarks. #neuroethology
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

Steve @stevetypesstuff.bsky.social · 19d

Nature book challenge. A book per day in no particular order, until you've shared ALL of the best nature books in your personal library. No explanations, no reviews.
#Books #Nature #Naturewriting #naturebooks #conservation #naturebookchallenge #booksky
#bees #bumblebees
#NatureBookChallenge

The cover of ‘The mind of a bee’ by Lars Chittka. One of the best books!

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · 20d

When bees carry individual marks, you realise that they are not "attracted to flowers" like some silly reflex machines - in fact they know where they're going and the same individuals often return to the same flowers whose locations, appearance and rewards they have learned. Go Orange 24!

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

Emília Santos @emiliapsantos.bsky.social · 23d

Very proud of this extremely collaborative piece: academic.oup.com/mbe/article/...
Here, we show that divergence in visual systems - in response to differences in the light environment - leads to rapid divergence in sexually selected colour traits. Work brilliantly led by Madeleine Carruthers. 🐟👀🎨

Rapid Divergence of Visual Systems and Signaling Traits to Contrasting Light Regimes During Early Speciation of African Crater Lake Cichlid Fish

Abstract. Sensory adaptation is widely hypothesized to drive ecological speciation, yet empirical evidence from natural populations undergoing early stage

academic.oup.com

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

Ben Sheldon @sheldonbirds.bsky.social · 24d

Come and work with us! Three new academic posts (including Animal Behaviour) and superb facilities in the new Life & Mind Building

Oxford Biology @biology.ox.ac.uk · 24d

Oxford Biology is growing 📢

We’re appointing 3 Associate Professors in:
🌱 Plant Sciences
🦉 Animal Behaviour
🔬 Molecular Cell Biology

3 fields. 3 opportunities. One new home for Oxford Biology.

Learn more 👉 bit.ly/41S2Tc7
Apply now 👉 bit.ly/488CNW3

Photo showing the inside atrium of the new Life and Mind Building

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

Folio Verlag @folioverlag.bsky.social · Sep 4

🆕 Lars Chittka in der Sendung „Im Gespräch“, Deutschlandfunk Kultur:
www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/bienenforsch...

Bienenforscher Lars Chittka - Denkende Bienen und spielende Hummeln

Bienen und Hummeln sind ganz schön schlau. So hat Bienenforscher Lars Chittka herausgefunden, dass diese Insekten zählen und spielen können.

www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · 27d

New paper on male bumblebee spatial movement strategies: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Male bumblebees adapt foraging to environmental conditions to sustain mate-seeking efforts

Male bees navigate complex trade-offs between energy acquisition and reproductive signalling, yet their movement strategies remain understudied. Unlike workers that optimise foraging to support the co...

www.biorxiv.org

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Sep 9

It was a pleasure handing this exciting study as editor for PLOS Biology: journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...

Honeybees adapt to a range of comb cell sizes by merging, tilting, and layering their construction

Honeybees often need to build their comb under conditions that prevent a regular hexagonal lattice. This study uses 3D printed panels and X-ray microscopy to explore their adaptive process when differ...

journals.plos.org

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Sep 8

Thank you! ☺️

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Sep 7

Ein Interview letzte Woche im Deutschlandfunk www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/bienenforsch...

Bienenforscher Lars Chittka - Denkende Bienen und spielende Hummeln

Bienen und Hummeln sind ganz schön schlau. So hat Bienenforscher Lars Chittka herausgefunden, dass diese Insekten zählen und spielen können.

www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Sep 4

Thank you!!! 🙏

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

Queen Mary University of London @qmul.bsky.social · Sep 4

Queen Mary is delighted to be a ‘University of the Year’ finalist in the #THEAwards!

And we're so proud Professors @larschittka.bsky.social and @alastairhackney.bsky.social have been shortlisted for Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year. @timeshighered.bsky.social

tinyurl.com/ebe8yx23

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

Jana Häberlein @janahaeberlein.bsky.social · Sep 4

Schönes, informatives Gespräch mit @larschittka.bsky.social im DLF über die Klugheit von Bienen etc.

Es bestärkt, dass ich Wespen seit Jahren m lokalem Biohonig od Obst füttere. Sie sind wirkl handzahm, man kann sie streicheln ohne gestochen zu werden.

www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de/bienenforsch...

Bienenforscher Lars Chittka - Denkende Bienen und spielende Hummeln

Bienen und Hummeln sind ganz schön schlau. So hat Bienenforscher Lars Chittka herausgefunden, dass diese Insekten zählen und spielen können.

www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Sep 4

Super happy to be on the shortlist for Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year by the Times Higher Education's "Oscars of higher education": the-awards.co.uk/2025/en/page...

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Sep 3

Morgen in der Eifel! www.lit-eifel.de/programm-202...

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Aug 27

Thank you! 🙏

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Aug 27

¡Muchísimas gracias! ☺️

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Aug 27

Thank you 🙏

Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Aug 27

I was super excited to receive this award! Thank you so much!

Animal Behavior Society @animbehsociety.bsky.social · Aug 27

Big time congrats to @larschittka.bsky.social on receiving the Exemplar Award this year! Lars and his team has discovered several previously unimaginable cognitive capacities in the itty bitty brains of bees giving us new insights into the evolution of learning.

chittkalab.sbcs.qmul.ac.uk

Lars and ABS President, Emily Duval, stand smiling and facing the camera. Lars is holding his shiny plaque honoring him with the Exemplar Award

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Aug 23

The French version of The Mind of a Bee is now available- 13 translations already! 😊

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Reposted by Lars Chittka

HaDi MaBouDi @maboudi.bsky.social · Aug 22

How do flies keep crystal-clear vision while zipping through the air? 🪰
This study reveals synaptic high-frequency jumping, a mechanism where photoreceptor synapses recode vision into high-frequency signals, enabling synchronised, coherent perception even at lightning speed. #vision #neuroscience

Small Brain Cognition Lab @minibraincognition.bsky.social · Aug 22

Flies keep their vision razor-sharp even at top speed: we found their synapses “jump” into higher frequencies during saccades, wiping out delays and boosting acuity. This self-sharpening trick shows how brains sync perception with rapid behaviour.
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Synaptic high-frequency jumping synchronises vision to high-speed behaviour

During high-speed behaviour, animals must predict, detect, process, and respond synchronously to rapid environmental changes, including those caused by their own movements. How neural systems achieve ...

www.biorxiv.org

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Lars Chittka @larschittka.bsky.social · Aug 22

New manuscript out on BioRxiv: Synaptic high-frequency jumping synchronises vision to high-speed behaviour: www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

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