h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I just marvel at this. Some researchers at U. Bristol have apparently demonstrated that, according to these 3 specific criteria, there are teachers and pupils among ants: 1) the teacher must perform the task at hand less efficiently than they would without the pupil present, 2) the pupil must learn faster than they would by themselves and, 3) there must be feedback between the two. In this case, the task at hand was to show nestmates a new source of food, placed 15cm away by the researcher. Here's what happened in the lab - two ants were observed to run along in tandem, but slower than the leader would alone, and the pupil would stop the teacher by tapping w/antennae, then the pupil turns around in loops. The results were that the pupils could then find the food in 2/3 the time it would otherwise take. Have a look at www.sciencenews.org/articles/20060114/antteach.avi

Ok, first, just thinking about the running, tapping, and looping has caused me to stop what I was doing several times yesterday to laugh. Then, think of it - even chimps, apparently, don't exhibit this teacher/pupil behavior. I don't either, come to think of it. With a nephew or niece about, I'll keep on with what I'm doing and answer any question they may have, but it's more of a process of demonstration and I don't usually slow down, even with one sitting on my shoulders tapping on my head.

Fascinating! I'll put a link to this at the Loyal Zoological Society A4661930, if you don't mind?

I have no objections at all. Thanks for offering. I would have written something there in the first place if I'd thought of it. It still hasn't fully sunk in that no matter what one comes up with, there'a always somewhere to put if one looks around.