Some time ago I wrote a blog about how my dog tends to bark in prime numbers.
In the morning when she is let into the garden, she runs the length of her domain and barks as if to reiterate that she is the master of her territory.
It was of course a playful piece, drawing upon the way in which a Hollywood film, Contact, uses the fact that prime numbers do not occur naturally.
However, watching a BBC documentary recently, has reminded me of how shortsighted sometimes we can be when it comes to observing the world around us.
The documentary was about much more than simply the capacity that some animals have for using mathematics.
But it is sobering to realise that something as simple as its a honey bee can measure the angle of the sun in the sky, and communicate through this information the location of food that may ensure the survival of the hive over winter.
It was claimed in the programme that the waggle dance, which is the means by which one bee can communicate to others this information, is hardwired into the genetics of the animal.
This may be so, but it is no less amazing that a simple insect is capable of measuring the angle of the sun in relation to the horizon, and also the distance from the hive, two pieces of information which together are sufficient to locate a source of food.
It is fascinating to become aware of how complex and diverse nature can be, and although the programme was by no means simply about the way in which animals make use of mathematics in their survival.
This revelation was one of many that came about because of the way scientists have been observing complex behaviour in a range of animals.
Though there may not be some arcane significance to my dog barking in prime numbers every morning, it does demonstrate the importance sometimes of paying attention to what we can learn of the world around us beyond ourselves.
