Ant colonies are capable of forming intelligent networks that can quickly spread information, according to a study released this week.
The study was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
As individual ants leave their nest in search for food, they walk around in what seems to be random paths, hoping to find something to eat. The ant then takes some of the food back to the nest, leaving a trail of pheromones behind them to mark the path which other ants use to try finding food as well, according to The Independent.
Since pheromones evaporate quickly, a wave of ants can usually be seen trying to follow it back to the food source, making their behavior look chaotic as they follow the path.
The ants eventually organize their search however, optimizing the shortest and best path between the nest and the food, according to The Independent.
As more ants use the path they leave more pheromones, which in turn, attracts more ants.
"While the single ant is certainly not smart, the collective acts in a way that I'm tempted to call intelligent," study co-author Jurgen Kurths of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said in a statement, according to The Independent.
"The ants collectively form a highly efficient complex network," Kurths added.
The researchers also figured out that individual ants differ in their ability to find food, according to
Ants gain more experience about the environment surrounding their nests as they get older, which makes it easier for them to effectively look for food. Younger ants don't contribute as much when it comes to looking for food, but they're able to learn while on the job.
Kurths feels that ants are much more efficient at organizing data than a collective of human beings using the internet ever could be, according to The Independent.
"I'd go so far as to say that the learning strategy involved in that, is more accurate and complex than a Google search. These insects are, without doubt, more efficient than Google in processing information about their surroundings," said Kurths. "Which doesn't mean you should ask the closest ant colony, rather than Google, when you want to find out what time the Super Bowl is on. But in a digitally connected world where the network is quickly becoming smarter and more efficient than any individual, ants are apparently ahead of the game."
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