I dunno... I don't think "nothing" is a particularly difficult concept. Numbers themselves are, including the number zero, but the idea that there's no flower here surely isn't that impressive.
Associate Professor Adrian Dyer, from RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, said the number zero was the backbone of modern maths and technological advancements. "Zero is a difficult concept to understand and a mathematical skill that doesn't come easily—it takes children a few years to learn," Dyer said. "We've long believed only humans had the intelligence to get the concept, but recent research has shown monkeys and birds have the brains for it as well. What we haven't known—until now—is whether insects can also understand zero."
The bees were trained to choose an image with the lowest number of elements in order to receive a reward of sugar solution. For example, the bees learned to choose three elements when presented with three vs. four; or two elements when presented with two vs. three. When Howard periodically tested the bees with an image that contained no elements versus an image that had one or more, the bees understood that the set of zero was the lower number—despite never having been exposed to an "empty set".
Aren't they just looking for the image with the least amount of black space on, or conversely the most amount of white space ? I may be missing something but it doesn't look like evidence the bees understand abstract mathematical concepts to me.
Caveat : if the black elements on the page vary in total number disproportionately to their area, then that might be more interesting (the article doesn't state this). That would be strong evidence the bees are actually counting discrete objects, not just judging relative quantities.
https://phys.org/news/2018-06-scientists-bees-concept.html
I think “not here” is not difficult, as is “more”. People struggled with “nothing” (zero) initially and for a long time. I didn’t read the piece but those are two different concepts.
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