How Ants Can Detect Earthquakes Better Than Other Species
- 11 years ago
Ants can detect earthquakes better than other species.
Charles Richter, father of the earthquake-measuring scale, said, “Only fools, charlatans, and liars predict earthquakes.”
Ants must be all three because apparently they do it all the time.
Researcher Gabriele Berberich and her colleagues tracked thousands of ant mounds living along German fault lines for three years. Using 24/7 video surveillance and special software that tracked the ants’ movements the team discovered telltale changes in the ants’ behavior.
When earthquakes measuring 2.0 and above were on the way, the ants abandoned their regular habit of sleeping the night away inside their mound.
Rather, they stayed awake and outside, leaving themselves vulnerable to predators. Normal ant behavior didn’t resume until the day following the tremors.
It is believed they sense changes in gas emissions and the earth’s magnetic field.
Ants may also hold the key to understanding how to better control Internet disasters.
In her recent studies of harvester ants, Deborah Gordon noticed the ways they instinctively avoid causing their own traffic jams.
As their colonies run much like Internet protocols governing data transmission speeds, she’s working on mimicking their ways to create a more robust web experience.
Charles Richter, father of the earthquake-measuring scale, said, “Only fools, charlatans, and liars predict earthquakes.”
Ants must be all three because apparently they do it all the time.
Researcher Gabriele Berberich and her colleagues tracked thousands of ant mounds living along German fault lines for three years. Using 24/7 video surveillance and special software that tracked the ants’ movements the team discovered telltale changes in the ants’ behavior.
When earthquakes measuring 2.0 and above were on the way, the ants abandoned their regular habit of sleeping the night away inside their mound.
Rather, they stayed awake and outside, leaving themselves vulnerable to predators. Normal ant behavior didn’t resume until the day following the tremors.
It is believed they sense changes in gas emissions and the earth’s magnetic field.
Ants may also hold the key to understanding how to better control Internet disasters.
In her recent studies of harvester ants, Deborah Gordon noticed the ways they instinctively avoid causing their own traffic jams.
As their colonies run much like Internet protocols governing data transmission speeds, she’s working on mimicking their ways to create a more robust web experience.