You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But what about an old bee?

Scientists discovered that babysitter bees have great brains. These young bees care for larvae in the hive. If you spoke bee, you might be impressed by the babysitter bee’s quick mind. “What did you have for breakfast yesterday, bee?” “Pollen,” she’ll buzz. “What elements comprise the periodic table, bee?” “Bzzz!” she’ll hum. “Boron, phosphorus, fluorine…”

Just kidding. Bees aren’t that smart. But their brains hold a key that might help human medicine. Even if these honeybees grow older while they work as babysitters, their brains don’t seem to age. But when the babysitter bees get older, they often get new jobs. They fly away to collect food for the hive. Scientists watched this change. Within just two weeks of their new job, the bees’ wings looked worn out. All the hair had fallen from their bodies. Their brains had changed. They could no longer learn new things.

The change reminded scientists of people who have Alzheimer’s disease. Alzheimer’s often strikes elderly people. Patients with Alzheimer’s start losing their memories and their ability to think clearly. Scientists had an idea. What if the sick bees stopped gathering food and went back to babysitting? In their experiment, they removed young babysitter bees from the hive. Many of the older, food-gathering bees started taking their old jobs back. After all, someone had to take care of the larvae!

In just 10 days, half of the bees had stronger brains. Their brains contained a protein called Prx6. Human brains have that protein too. It helps protect against diseases like Alzheimer’s.

It will take years of study before scientists know how to use their discovery on humans. Will they invent a new drug? Will they learn that social interactions can reverse memory loss? Will this incredible creature of God help cure a horrible disease?