NationStates Jolt Archive

They even more intelligent than we realise.
Ants 'use an internal pedometer'
Desert ants use an internal "pedometer" to measure exact marching distances, according to a study.

Researchers knew foraging insects could navigate using light from the sky, but were puzzled by the animals' ability to gauge the length of ground covered.

By manipulating the ants' leg lengths to give them longer and shorter strides, a Swiss/German team found the ants "counted" steps to judge distance.

...

...scientists from the University of Ulm, Germany, and the University of Zurich, Switzerland, set some ants off on a foraging trip along a tunnel, but once they had reached the food their legs were manipulated to either make them longer by adding stilts, or shorter by partially amputating them.

The ants were then returned to the same spot to begin their homeward-bound journey. However, the researchers discovered the ants with longer legs overshot the nest entrance, while those with the shortened legs undershot it.

They found when the ants performed both the outward and homeward-bound journeys with manipulated legs, they judged the nest-distance almost exactly, suggesting that stride-length was the key factor.
Pedo ants (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5128604.stm)
When they take over the world, I for one will welcome our Formicidae overlords.


(Pedo ants make them sound like they're a bunch of kiddy diddlys but I couldn't help it)

So? I can count as well, that doesn't make me intelligent.

Deer can count, also.

But they can only count so high.

One, two, many...

If you enter the woods with four men, and while walking through, one hides while the rest walk away, the deer will think that all the men are gone, even if it only sees three walking away.

If you have three men, and one hides, with two walking away, this does not work. The deer knows someone is still out there.

I've done this nearly every deer season (that's almost every year since 1978), and I'm convinced that's how deer count.

If you enter the woods with four men, and while walking through, one hides while the rest walk away, the deer will think that all the men are gone, even if it only sees three walking away.

If you have three men, and one hides, with two walking away, this does not work. The deer knows someone is still out there.

Interestingly, ravens seem to be ablee to count better than deer. In a BBC documentary, ten birdwatchers went into a hide with ravens watching, then eight men came back out. The birds didn't go anywhere near the hide untill the remaining birdwatchers left.

Fascinating, I think. Though birds are remarkably evolved. One of the birds of paradise, which live on Papua New Guinea and are thought to be the most evolved birds on Earth, clear a space in the jungle and set up long branches in a fairly uniform pattern, sticking vertically out of the ground. They then 'dance' on top of these brances, jumping and fluttering from one to another in a complicated mating ritual. Its thought that the females choose their mates on a combination of dancing prowess and neatness of the clearing.

Deer can count, also.

But they can only count so high.

One, two, many...

If you enter the woods with four men, and while walking through, one hides while the rest walk away, the deer will think that all the men are gone, even if it only sees three walking away.

If you have three men, and one hides, with two walking away, this does not work. The deer knows someone is still out there.

I've done this nearly every deer season (that's almost every year since 1978), and I'm convinced that's how deer count.

They are lulling you into a false sense of security.

They have extremely basic computational skills. Much as a primitive calculator. Doesn't make them smart. After all, would you call your TI-23 smart?

They are lulling you into a false sense of security.

What, the dead deer?

What, the dead deer?
Yes. They are secretly planning to give you E. Coli, and then spring right back to life after you die!

What, the dead deer?
No, the intelligent deer who live in underground societies plotting world domination while sending out their mentally retarded brethren to inhabit the earth and convince homosapiens that deer arn't dangerous threats to their control of the world.

Yes. They are secretly planning to give you E. Coli, and then spring right back to life after you die!

I'll believe that the day that a deer springs out of my ass....

*uh oh*

They may be a threat.
Pre-emptive strike?

Interestingly, ravens seem to be ablee to count better than deer. In a BBC documentary, ten birdwatchers went into a hide with ravens watching, then eight men came back out. The birds didn't go anywhere near the hide untill the remaining birdwatchers left.

Fascinating, I think. Though birds are remarkably evolved. One of the birds of paradise, which live on Papua New Guinea and are thought to be the most evolved birds on Earth, clear a space in the jungle and set up long branches in a fairly uniform pattern, sticking vertically out of the ground. They then 'dance' on top of these brances, jumping and fluttering from one to another in a complicated mating ritual. Its thought that the females choose their mates on a combination of dancing prowess and neatness of the clearing.
Ravens are confirmed to be the most intellegent birds in the world. Another study involving crows and ravens showed this. First, the crow was sat on a perch from which it couldn't get off, then a piece of meat was tied on a string and attached to the perch, dangling. The crow could only get it as high as he could lift it with his beak, but when a raven was given the same situation, it alternated between it's beak and one of it's talons, eventually eating a well earned meal.

Omg burn the pedos!111111

Ravens are confirmed to be the most intellegent birds in the world. Another study involving crows and ravens showed this. First, the crow was sat on a perch from which it couldn't get off, then a piece of meat was tied on a string and attached to the perch, dangling. The crow could only get it as high as he could lift it with his beak, but when a raven was given the same situation, it alternated between it's beak and one of it's talons, eventually eating a well earned meal.
"Clever girl..."

Omg burn the pedos!111111
With a magnafying lense!

Omg burn the pedos!111111
With magnifiers?

With a magnafying lense!
Damn you :(

Damn you :(
'Cause I beat you to the punch? *chuckles*

With a magnafying lense!
Actually, at my parents old house they used to have a problem with these large ant colonies that would crop up every so often. The colonies themselves were of little consequence, but when the ants got into the house was when the problem occured. My parents would dump gasoline on the colonies and light it on fire. Up until I took control of counter ant operations. At which point I cooked up some homemade mustard gas, and removed the ants from existence. After doing that, I then napalmed their colony to make sure there weren't any survivors with tiny little ant gas masks.

Yes, as an adolescent I was big into the overkill.

I'm also surpised I'm still alive.

With a magnafying lense!

Eventually they'll magnify us!

Actually, at my parents old house they used to have a problem with these large ant colonies that would crop up every so often. The colonies themselves were of little consequence, but when the ants got into the house was when the problem occured. My parents would dump gasoline on the colonies and light it on fire. Up until I took control of counter ant operations. At which point I cooked up some homemade mustard gas, and removed the ants from existence. After doing that, I then napalmed their colony to make sure there weren't any survivors with tiny little ant gas masks.

Yes, as an adolescent I was big into the overkill.

I'm also surpised I'm still alive.
I don't like using emoticons, but :eek: !!!!

I don't get what the big deal is, every animal can count. If an animal has 10 young and comes back from a journey with 9 they know that 1 is missing.

"Clever girl..."

You know, I don't think I've ever heard (seen) anyone quote Jurassic Park before.

Ravens are confirmed to be the most intellegent birds in the world. Another study involving crows and ravens showed this. First, the crow was sat on a perch from which it couldn't get off, then a piece of meat was tied on a string and attached to the perch, dangling. The crow could only get it as high as he could lift it with his beak, but when a raven was given the same situation, it alternated between it's beak and one of it's talons, eventually eating a well earned meal.
IIRC, it's the Kea in NZ that's the most intelligent bird. They're a alpine parrot living in the Southern alps.
They tried the same test on Keas except they made it a bit harder. The Kea had to wind the cord around the pole 5 times in order to get to the food.
The result?
Every single one of them succeeded in getting the food it's first go!

I can personally attest to their intelligence. I once saw one open a can of sardines. It hooked it's beak under the key and wound it open.
I also once saw a bunch of bored ones lining up one a car roof and taking turns to slide down the windscreen onto the bonnet. Then they'd hop back up to the roof to the back of the line.

Here's a pic of a Kea working out how to get a tube filled with seeds off a stick:
http://spl.univie.ac.at/typo3temp/pics/ea935b38d7.jpg

Here's another pic of two Keas who worked out how to get the treats inside a box. No training was done. The box was left out in the wild and the keas observed. Some of them worked out that to get the treats, one had to pull the cord which lowered the food down on the other side of the box for a 2nd Kea to feed. They then switched:
http://spl.univie.ac.at/typo3temp/pics/c8f70737fa.jpg

I can't see many birds working that out.

I can't see many birds working that out.

Assuming that they survive the nuclear fallout, they may inherit the Earth from us.

Assuming that they survive the nuclear fallout, they may inherit the Earth from us.
A world run by keas?
Yeah, I can handle that. They're such cool birds.

You have to be careful parking at the ski car parks. They get bored easily and their favourite pasttime is seeing how many things they can break off a car. Windscreen wipers, rubber seals round windows, hubcaps, side mirrors, the emblem on the front of the car. Anything really. Funny to watch (unless it's your car of course).

A world run by keas?
Yeah, I can handle that. They're such cool birds.

You have to be careful parking at the ski car parks. They get bored easily and their favourite pasttime is seeing how many things they can break off a car. Windscreen wipers, rubber seals round windows, hubcaps, side mirrors, the emblem on the front of the car. Anything really. Funny to watch (unless it's your car of course).

I've never seen a kea, but the smartest bird I've seen was a mockingbird. They don't seem to be as smart as a kea, but they're smarter than most birds.

They have extremely basic computational skills. Much as a primitive calculator. Doesn't make them smart. After all, would you call your TI-23 smart?

"Smart" is overrated. We humans are just smart enough to desertify agricultural zones and poop our own habitat, kill ourselves in large and small numbers, and come up with Scientology.

Ants are more successful a species than humans. No technology and they inhabit the entire planet. Despite being 1/100,000th of a pound each, the number of ants in the world is enough to outweigh the entire human race.

That, and Queens rule the colonies and do the work and soldiering, whereas we still don't even have a female president in the US.

Actually, at my parents old house they used to have a problem with these large ant colonies that would crop up every so often. The colonies themselves were of little consequence, but when the ants got into the house was when the problem occured. My parents would dump gasoline on the colonies and light it on fire. Up until I took control of counter ant operations. At which point I cooked up some homemade mustard gas, and removed the ants from existence. After doing that, I then napalmed their colony to make sure there weren't any survivors with tiny little ant gas masks.

Yes, as an adolescent I was big into the overkill.

I'm also surpised I'm still alive.

Shite! I thought I had some fun kitchen kemestry going on, but homebrew lewisite.... That's a whole 'nother level...

They even more intelligent than we realise.

Pedo ants (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5128604.stm)
When they take over the world, I for one will welcome our Formicidae overlords.


(Pedo ants make them sound like they're a bunch of kiddy diddlys but I couldn't help it)

I thought you were serving the hamster overlords - don't let them know you'd side with another or they're gonna reign fuzzy death on ya and you'll deserve it! Anyhow - I kill ants for a living, I own those sons of bitches!

They may be a threat.
Pre-emptive strike?


They might start using this new found math to build weapons of mass destruction....

They might start using this new found math to build weapons of mass destruction....

Its maths my friend
*starts argument*