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A Year in the Life of Wood Ants

Posted by michael on from the just-gotta-be-me dept.

Ant writes "This is a radio series perhaps unlike anything you have listened to before! Recorded over a year, the series charts the fascinating and bizarre lives of two colonies of wood ants; one in a pine forest and the other in a deciduous woodland in Northumberland (UK). Using specially designed microphones, we eavesdrop on the private and noisy activities of the ants; we join the soldiers, workers, nurses and guards within nests, following them as they march through the forest on a highway of ant trails, and we are with them when the nest is attacked by badgers, damaged by mountain bikes, and threatened by tree harvesters, dogs, ferocious storms and predatory birds. The series has computer voice effects like you hear in Star Trek (i.e., "Enemy ants defeated.", "Harvester approaching.")"

16 comments

  1. Our Home is our world... by SocialWorm · · Score: 1

    "Harvester Approaching"? Sounds more like Homeworld than Star Trek to me.

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  2. Sounds great! by KDan · · Score: 4, Funny

    Can they do the same with girls?

    Daniel

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    Carpe Diem
    1. Re:Sounds great! by mattsucks · · Score: 1

      ... with an emphasis on the ones that have "gone wild". Domesticated girls are not nearly as fun.

  3. those evil mountain bikes... by BigChigger · · Score: 1

    and wood harvesters should be banned! How dare they!

    BC

  4. Only from the BBC by dflock · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Without even looking at the URL, this could only have been produced at the BBC. One of the few remaining reasons to be proud to be British.

  5. Misrepresentation by DogBarf · · Score: 3, Informative

    It's not really that unique. It seems that the ant noise is used only as a background, while folks talk about ant physiology, diet info, etc.

    The "computer voice" actually takes away from the documentary, in my opinion.

    1. Re:Misrepresentation by merriam · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The voice ruins it. I heard it on the radio a week or two ago, and that ridiculous voice compelled me switch it off. It's as if the programme came under the influence of a children's television producer from the 80s.

  6. Will the Simpsons have gotten it right earlier? by VikingBerserker · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can see the transcript now:

    "Protect the queen!"

    "Which one's the queen?"

    "I'm the queen!"

    "No you're not!"

    "Freedom, horrible horrible freedom!!!!"

  7. update by BortQ · · Score: 1

    I want a SimAnt 2000.

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    1. Re:update by sigep_ohio · · Score: 1

      I want SimAnt 2000 too. SimAnt was the first sim game I ever played. I think they could update it and make it pretty sweet. Add some adaptive AI, flashy new graphics, rail guns...oops wrong game.

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  8. No .rm here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone know if the clips are available in other than RealMediocre format?

  9. Next on Fox! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Next in our line of crappy reality shows, join us for our two series on colonies of wood ants.

    One woman, thousands of lovers, who will find the queen's heart? Joe Slave will!

    Think the Survivor's have it tough? Try guarding a nest damaged by mountain bikes, threatened by tree harvesters, dogs, ferocious storms and predatory birds!! Watch Guardian: Northumberland (UK).

  10. SimFarm by jaydho · · Score: 1

    Is SimFarm close enough?

  11. defend the queen! by Hubert_Shrump · · Score: 1

    which one of us is the queen?!

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  12. Audio links #3-5 are incorrect... by antdude · · Score: 1

    FYI. I think BBC messed up with the recordings. BBC hasn't replied to my e-mail about this error. :(

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