In order to test their ability to cope with space-like conditions, some ants were taken into space last year. Researchers today say that while it took the insects longer to discover an area of land, they were able to perceive their surroundings in three dimensions. They quickly learned to cooperate in this strange environment. Researchers wrote that they used one another as an anchor for climbing and exploring. The ants managed to find new places and work together despite falling from their containers up to eight times per second. Biologists explained that their somewhat hampered collective search still occurred. Researchers were able to develop software that would allow autonomous robots coordinate their searches when radio networks are disrupted by analyzing the way ants navigated these areas in zero gravity. Researchers were amazed at their ability to quickly recover from a zero gravity tumble, and also skid in an Michael Jackson style move. The ants also demonstrated remarkable abilities to walk on the enclosure’s surface. Researchers from Colorado, Washington, Stanford and Utah as well as AnTracks Computer Vision Systems seek to understand the cooperative behavior of ants and create search algorithms for robot groups. Video: Ants in Zero Gravity Prof. Gordon discusses the experiments with ants. Citizen science project: The citizen science team created a lesson plan that allows schoolchildren to collect data about other ant species from their classrooms, but not in space. The lesson plan is designed to help students investigate collective search algorithms for ant species not previously studied by Professor Deborah M. Gordon of Stanford University’s Department of Biology. There are more 14,000 species of ants to be learned about, she says. Although they don’t encounter microgravity, the ants can search for food in any other environment. These results may provide suggestions for how to program robots in rescue or exploration missions. So that rescue robots can efficiently search, they are given collective search algorithms. A robot that is searching for humans in hazardous terrain might prefer to imitate ants than to report to the central controller. This strategy can be both cost-effective and efficient. Tammy Moriarty (a professional development associate at Stanford’s Center to Support Excellence in Teaching) tested the lesson plan. It integrates engineering, science and mathematics. These subjects are known as STEM subjects. Pavement Ants (Tetramorium Caespitum) were used in the space experiment. Students will explore the Earth without any central control. Prof. Gordon’s Ants-in-Space question asked: “What methods can be used to fully explore a new area, with no central control or plan to coordinate the search?” Data from the project will be made public. Professor Gordon stated that “we will compare the results of different species and might learn about new algorithms for collective searching that no one yet has considered.” Prof. Gordon used the Tetramorium Caespitum pavement ant as an example. This is a European native insect. These results revealed that this kind of ant spreads rapidly within an area they’re exploring. The search algorithm may be why ants often end up fighting with neighboring colonies on pavements (US English: sidewalks). Professor Gordon stated that pavement ants performed the exact same tasks as Earthly ants in space microgravity, but they were not as efficient. Many ants don’t search in the same way as pavement ants. An earlier experiment revealed that Argentine ants do not tend to move towards boundaries. They search the entire new territory thoroughly. Professor Gordon stated that comparing the searching behavior of various species will show how evolution has created collective behavior to adapt to extreme circumstances. There is food, water, shelter and enemies in the world of ants. To monitor what’s going on in their environment, ant colonies must be vigilant. Ants do not have social media access like humans to stay informed about what is happening in their environment. They do not hold meetings or vote. Most ants do not have excellent eyesight. However, they have a great sense of smell. They need to be able to smell the colony and move about. Professor Gordon stated that ants keep themselves updated in many ways. For example, Argentine ants search in a straight line when there is less congestion and a winding path when it is crowded. When they touch each other’s antennae, they can tell how crowded it is. Species such as the Argentine ants or pavement ants are great invaders. Perhaps that’s why they can find sugar grains on the kitchen counter so quickly. Preparing future scientists Moriarty stated: “Deborah Gordon, a scientist who wishes to reach out to teachers who are preparing future scientists and citizens,” The lesson plan challenges schoolchildren to engage in a scientific inquiry without a clear answer. They are now actually conducting science by gathering wild ants, observing them, and looking for patterns. Stanford University says that students will record the behavior of ants and observe how they search new areas. Students will use inexpensive and readily available materials to build an enclosure to allow them to watch ants as they search for new areas. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. Published 30 February, 2015. DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2015.00025. Video: Prof. Gordon’s Ant Experiment Prof. Gordon shows how simple an ant arena can be used for the same collective search experiment as that conducted on the International Space Station.
Amazingly, ants can withstand zero gravity in space
