00:00:07
Daily, millions of ants00:00:10
00:00:10
travel from their nest to their hunting grounds00:00:13
00:00:13
with nearly no congestion.00:00:15
00:00:16
How?00:00:18
00:00:19
When army ants leave their nests,00:00:21
00:00:21
they navigate around those returning with food,00:00:24
00:00:24
instinctively adjusting
to the returning ants’ limited maneuverability.00:00:29
00:00:29
When leaf-cutter ants encounter slow-moving,00:00:32
00:00:32
load-carrying members, they adapt00:00:35
00:00:35
by reducing speed, forming clusters,00:00:38
00:00:38
and moving as a collective group.00:00:40
00:00:40
Researchers say that this actually00:00:42
00:00:42
helps ants reach their destination quicker,00:00:44
00:00:44
as they will have the right-of-way00:00:46
00:00:46
and avoid head-on collisions00:00:48
00:00:48
with ants coming out of the nest.00:00:50
00:00:50
Additionally, ants can communicate00:00:52
00:00:52
by touching antennae,
enabling them to overcome00:00:55
00:00:55
even more complex navigational problems.00:00:58
00:00:58
In contrast,
billions of hours each year are wasted00:01:02
00:01:02
when individuals find themselves locked in traffic.00:01:05
00:01:07
Scientists hope to mimic the ant’s instinctive adaptability00:01:10
00:01:10
by designing traffic systems00:01:13
00:01:13
that optimize vehicle flow00:01:15
00:01:15
through changing road conditions.00:01:17
00:01:18
What do you think?00:01:19
00:01:19
Did the ant’s ability to avoid congestion00:01:22
00:01:22
come about by evolution?00:01:24
00:01:24
Or was it designed?00:01:27
Was It Designed? How Do Ants Avoid Traffic Jams?
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Was It Designed? How Do Ants Avoid Traffic Jams?
Daily, millions of ants
travel from their nest to their hunting grounds
with nearly no congestion.
How?
When army ants leave their nests,
they navigate around those returning with food,
instinctively adjusting
to the returning ants’ limited maneuverability.
When leaf-cutter ants encounter slow-moving,
load-carrying members, they adapt
by reducing speed, forming clusters,
and moving as a collective group.
Researchers say that this actually
helps ants reach their destination quicker,
as they will have the right-of-way
and avoid head-on collisions
with ants coming out of the nest.
Additionally, ants can communicate
by touching antennae,
enabling them to overcome
even more complex navigational problems.
In contrast,
billions of hours each year are wasted
when individuals find themselves locked in traffic.
Scientists hope to mimic the ant’s instinctive adaptability
by designing traffic systems
that optimize vehicle flow
through changing road conditions.
What do you think?
Did the ant’s ability to avoid congestion
come about by evolution?
Or was it designed?
-