# Doomed republican ants in nuclear bunker experiment



## Brian G Turner (Sep 6, 2016)

Ants trapped in nuclear bunker are developing their own society



> Keep calm and carry on building. That’s the motto of 100,000 or so wood ants stranded without food in a nuclear bunker until they starve.
> 
> ...
> 
> When the researchers dug into it to look for an ant brood they found none – no larvae, pupae or empty cocoons. The “colony” was queenless and lacked any males. This fits with the idea that it is no ordinary nest, but a strange nest-like structure that the worker population has instinctively built.


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## Stuart Suffel (Sep 6, 2016)

Well, so much for ants taking over the world in 4 billion years time. (I think that was HG Well's implication, not sure)

ETA. Great Eye-catching Headline btw. Future in Journalism for you... 

Me? I'm more the 'Insects act upon their Instincts' sorta guy.


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## Dave (Sep 6, 2016)

> Without any food, the individual bunker ants are probably dying at a rate faster than at the surface, the researchers think. But because there is a steady stream of new arrivals falling into the bunker, the colony has grown to a reasonable size.


Actually, it sounds more like a description of a medieval city. Disease, wars and poverty resulted in low life expectancy, yet the low population meant that plenty of work was available, and so there was a constant stream of immigrants to replace those who died. During this time London grew enormous, despite the small population of England.


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## Toby Frost (Sep 6, 2016)

As someone planning a book involving giant space ants in a bunker, this was of interest!


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## Stuart Suffel (Sep 6, 2016)

Dave said:


> Actually, it sounds more like a description of a medieval city. Disease, wars and poverty resulted in low life expectancy, yet the low population meant that plenty of work was available, and so there was a constant stream of immigrants to replace those who died. During this time London grew enormous, despite the small population of England.


So the republican bit was the new order after the Queen's 'abdication?'.  Hmmm. Let me get my notepad...


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## Khuratokh (Sep 6, 2016)

It seems to be in keeping with what we currently theorize how the organisational structure of ant colonies  actually work. They don't need any input from a queen and as long as two ants  are from the same colony they'll follow each other's cues. I wonder if lack of predation factors into it's succes.
A fascinating read.


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## Dave (Sep 6, 2016)

StuartSuffers said:


> So the republican bit was the new order after the Queen's 'abdication?'.  Hmmm. Let me get my notepad...


From what I read I thought they were communist ants in an abandoned Soviet nuclear base.


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## Stuart Suffel (Sep 6, 2016)

Dave said:


> From what I read I thought they were communist ants in an abandoned Soviet nuclear base.


Ok Dave, I'm gonna ask you straight out, why the word 'republican???'  What am I missing? What secret sub-textual signals you sending, Dave?


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## Overread (Sep 6, 2016)

Interesting and seems to be an extension of how ant death wheels work





The ants falling in are running on their normal instinctive (?) behaviour and building a nest even though it lacks key elements as there's no provision of them present. It's fascinating and gives an idea how robotic ants can be and raises interesting questions on their levels of intelligence and autonomy as well as their organisational structure and also upon what understanding and behaviours they are born with and develop


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## Ursa major (Sep 6, 2016)

StuartSuffers said:


> why the word 'republican???


Wasn't the colony lacking a queen...?


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## Dave (Sep 6, 2016)

StuartSuffers said:


> Ok Dave, I'm gonna ask you straight out, why the word 'republican???'  What am I missing? What secret sub-textual signals you sending, Dave?


Do you mean in the title of the thread? It's Brian's thread. We aren't joined at the hip. I couldn't see any mention of "republican" ants in the article, except that they had thrown out the queen.

Edit: Yes, what Ursa said.


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## Stuart Suffel (Sep 6, 2016)

Dave said:


> Do you mean in the title of the thread? It's Brian's thread. We aren't joined at the hip. I couldn't see any mention of "republican" ants in the article, except that they had thrown out the queen.
> 
> Edit: Yes, what Ursa said.



Yes, I explored that abdication option, but seeing as no one bit...

Brian, huh? *rolls up sleeves* . Realises Brian might be the admin guy, *rolls down sleeves*

Shure, 'tisn't that important. Curious is all...


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## The Ace (Sep 6, 2016)

StuartSuffers said:


> Yes, I explored that abdication option, but seeing as no one bit...
> 
> Brian, huh? *rolls up sleeves* . Realises Brian might be the admin guy, *rolls down sleeves*
> 
> Shure, 'tisn't that important. Curious is all...



The Queen is the only fertile female in the colony, so without one, it'll die out.

A country without a monarch is a republic, thus republican ants - the fact that it would infuriate a certain section of the population probably didn't even cross his mind, since, "Republican," political parties aren't that common.


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## Dave (Sep 6, 2016)

The Ace said:


> The Queen is the only fertile female in the colony, so without one, it'll die out.


Not this one, because they are in the EU (West Poland) and signed up to the Schengen Agreement.


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## Stuart Suffel (Sep 6, 2016)

The Ace said:


> The Queen is the only fertile female in the colony, so without one, it'll die out.
> 
> A country without a monarch is a republic, thus republican ants - the fact that it would infuriate a certain section of the population probably didn't even cross his mind, since, "Republican," political parties aren't that common.



Infuriate might be a bit of strong word...

actually I was thinking more along the lines of republicans in the separated from colonial or monarchical past sense. Anyway, as you say, a 'country' without a monarch, can become a republic.

So kudos to Brian Big Brain. (a vaguely Pulp Fiction reference)


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