An echidna light sculpture eating ants is displayed during a media preview of Vivid Sydney illuminated displays at Taronga Zoo on May 24, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. Vivid is lighting up at Taronga Zoo for the first time with ten giant animal sculptures representing critical species the zoo is committed to protecting. Held annually, Vivid Sydney is the world's largest festival of light, music and ideas running for 23 days. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The “voodoo” wrestler known as Panthère utters incantations above the alter of his shrine in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on July 27, 2023. In the capital of DR Congo, dozens of men and women – including former wrestlers – practice “voodoo wrestling”, using traditional fetishes and animals. Fights are organised in some of the city's poorest and most densely populated districts. (Photo by Alexis Huguet/AFP Photo)

Members of Siam Classic Dance Studio perform for onlookers at Haymarket on January 21, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. The Lunar New Year or Spring Festival marks the transition of the Chinese zodiac sign from one animal to the next. 2023 sees in the Year of the Rabbit, which begins on January 22. In Chinese culture, the Rabbit is a symbol of longevity, peace and prosperity. The festival is celebrated in Australia by the country's significant Chinese-origin minority, who follow much of the same traditions as the Chinese diaspora in the rest of the world. (Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

People gather for the second annual “Cat Beauty Festival” organized by Royal Veterinary Hospital in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq on July 2, 2025. Around 200 cats participated in the event, where the first round was determined by social media votes. The winner, a cat named “Gule Rana”, was selected by a jury. The festival aims to promote animal love and raise awareness about feline care. (Photo by Fariq Faraj Mahmood/Anadolu via Getty Images)

A boy dressed as the Star Wars character Darth Vader attends a Star Wars themed church service, at the Zion Church in Berlin, Sunday, December 20, 2015. About 500 people, some carrying light saber props or wearing Darth Vader masks, attended the service, more than twice as many as usual on a Sunday. (Photo by Markus Schreiber/AP Photo)

Once upon a time a myth was born that insects, unlike animals, are just a machines that not capable of learning and survive only based on their instincts. That myth has become the widespread opinion. Of course, this opinion is indeed erroneous, like many other widespread opinions. Let us try to find out which part is a myth and which part is true.

The Luminous Lantern Parade on June 10, 2016 in Brisbane, Australia. The Luminous Lantern Parade was held at Brisbane’s South Bank on Friday, featuring a parade of glowing animals and characters of all shapes and sizes lighting up the night sky. (Photo by Glenn Hunt/Getty Images)