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Ants That Can Count

Posted by samzenpus on from the ants-plus-math-equals-doom dept.

thisIsOdd writes "NPR had a recent report about scientists at the University of Ulm who suggest that ants in desert environments count to help them get to and from their homes. Because the desert's windiness and sandiness is not conducive the 'smell-trail' method, where ants squeeze certain glands that leave a chemical trail, scientists were puzzled by the fact that these desert ants were able to leave and successfully return to their nest. The theory is called the 'pedometer theory,' and the experiment used to test it involves manipulating the leg length of some of these ants. Ants with longer legs would pass the nest on the way home, and ones with shorter legs came up... well... short."

12 of 162 comments (clear)

  1. Just had to do it. by Psaakyrn · · Score: 4, Funny

    So, it's like changing the tires of a car to a larger or smaller one then miscounting the distance traveled based on rotations?

  2. So did I :( by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Especially when you think how similar to us ants really are. I mean, when I read:

    ants squeeze certain glands that leave a chemical trail

    I went "I can do that too!"

  3. Re:I felt a pang... by MarkRose · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'll, too, admit that the thought of having my limbs chopped makes me a bit antsy...

    --
    Be relentless!
  4. Re:I heard one of the ants in the experiment speak by MarkRose · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's got to be awful confounding... I bet the poor thing is stumped!

    --
    Be relentless!
  5. Sounds like frogs ... by dltaylor · · Score: 4, Funny

    To determine how what proportion each leg contributed to a frog's jumping distance, a scientist trained a frog to jump on command. He then measured the distance with all legs, and remeasured after successively removing one leg at a time.

    His conclusion: that since the frog, with all legs removed, did not jump after hearing the command, that the frog was now deaf.

  6. I wonder... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    How do these scientists at the University of Ulm get to and from their homes when the ants are not counting for them?

  7. Re:god, that name! by Antarius · · Score: 5, Funny

    You're just being PedAntic

  8. True masters of the Earth by criptic08 · · Score: 4, Funny

    If ants have mastered abstract thinking we're all in deep trouble.

  9. avoid the "pom" word on Net by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    > He could as well go "Pom, pom, pom"

    Everyone who saw "P o r n, P o r n, P o r n", please raise your hands?.... Thought so!

    1. Re:avoid the "pom" word on Net by Enleth · · Score: 2, Funny

      Looks like you've got a naughty kerning algorithm...

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      This is Slashdot. Common sense is futile. You will be modded down.
  10. Re:I felt a pang... by L4t3r4lu5 · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's been bugging me since I read the piece...

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    Finally had enough. Come see us over at https://soylentnews.org/
  11. Re:This doesn't prove ants can count by TropicalCoder · · Score: 3, Funny

    I don't the ants are consciously thinking one... two ... three in their minds as they walk

    These six-legged insects count in base 6, of course.