NPR Science: Ants That Count!

Desert ants have a nifty way of finding their way back home after a foray out of the nest to find food -- they count their steps. To prove it, some scientists devised a creative experiment that showed just how the little guys do it. NPR's Robert Krulwich and Odd Todd explain.

Credit: Robert Krulwich, OddTodd, Jason Orfanon

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ants
• science
• experiment
• krulwich
• national public radio
• desert
• counting
• robert krulwich
• odd todd
• count
• oddtodd
• npr

[nerdymcg]

instead of taking the ant's legs they should have gave it longer stilts than 'ant number 2'

[BeggsTube]

Poor little ant!! :(

[TheLaelkrol]

@ianimarkulev

Pedometer is an ruler used by Pedobear.

[TheLaelkrol]

@agemo2007ed

I think that number of step is more constant than "traveling time".

And i've gotten one question. If you will put obsicle on it's way it will have to bypass it or climb it (both ways mean more steps), will the ant get back home then?

[agemo2007ed]

I'm wondering if they are counting their steps or are they actually measuring travel time?

Practically it would be the same thing, but it would seem easier for an ant to measure time as opposed to the number of steps.

[Jigiligy]

Dont show us a cartoon and show us actual footage

[gubberfuck]

@WowThoseAreHuge OH REALLY. insects aren't animals? might want to know what the FUCK you're talking about before calling someone a "dumb fuck". (dumbfuck.)

[WowThoseAreHuge]

@TheMikeAndLucas An ant isn't an animal dumb fuck. God damn.

[rg0057]

This makes me fear for potential consequences if we're ever discovered by "intelligent" alien life, even if they don't want to eat us, liquefy us for fuel, or just kill us for our land.

[crazymusic424]

ummm not realllly... ants dont count.... this was supposed to teach us....?????

[crazymusic424]

poor ant no 3!! lol :)