Teamwork keeps fire ants high and dry

The physics that floats a bug's boat

By Daniel Strain

Web edition : Monday, April 25th, 2011

By linking very close together, ants on the bottom of this raft create a watertight seal much like a boat’s hull.

"When floods strike, ants ride out the storm in a self-assembled ant raft. In this study, ant groups of 1,000 to 7,000 bugs spread out in the water to form a raft of uniform thickness."  Fire ants are incredible survivors and have shown how working together can lead to survival of their population.  Physicist from the Georgia Institute of Technology are studying these ants on how that work together to form these incredible structures.  The hope is that they can use their findings to build robots with smaller processors and that can work together to build structures, like bridges. 

I was first interested in this article because of the word 'Teamwork"  I am amazed with how insects and other animals can work together in times of need to do something.  Over and over again I find that ants seem to have many secrets in how to work together.

I can make many connections to life.  First we have many challenges that face the human race that are potentially life threatening to our population on Earth.  It is amazing how one of the smallest creatures can outperform us in regards to teamwork. Also, animals and plants have always been the catalyst for many of our engineering designs and once again we are using organic life to help show us ways we build things to help up survive and participate in the world.

If you would like to read the original article click on the following Link.
Teamwork Article

View the video by clicking on this link.
Fire Ant Video

Noise Distracts Fish from Their Dinner

ScienceDaily (Mar. 7, 2011) —

Three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus). (Credit: Image by Ron Offermans)

The article discussed research on the effects of sound on fish.  "Using underwater speakers to play noise at levels similar to those produced by recreational speedboats, the researchers found that three-spined sticklebacks exposed to even brief noise playback made more foraging mistakes and were less efficient at consuming the available food compared to those in quiet conditions." (ScienceDaily, 2011)  The study suggests there could be a much wider range of detrimental effects than previously thought, and so there is a vital need for further research .  

I found this article interesting because the title implied that fish could be distracted by noise while they are trying to focus on eating.  Eating is vital to most animals and they have enough hurdles to getting food such as other competitors and predators and now it seems that we are having more of an impact on life in the seas.

We, humans, somethings think that what we do has no effect on the other species that inhabit the earth.  as out population increases there is less and less space to for other organisms to live and function.  This is yet more proof to suggest that we need to be careful and more conscious of our actions on this planet.

To read more about this article click on the following link

Noise Distracts Fish from Their Dinner

Couch Potatoes Beware: Too Much Time Spent Watching TV Is Harmful to Heart Health

ScienceDaily (Jan. 10, 2011) — Spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen appears to dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause, perhaps regardless of how much exercise one gets, according to a new study published in the January 18, 2011, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

A new study finds that spending too much leisure time in front of a TV or computer screen appears to dramatically increase the risk for heart disease and premature death from any cause. (Credit: iStockphoto/Hans Laubel)

This article looks at the the link between watching TV, spending time on the computer and how that can lead to both non-fatal and fatal cardiac events.  The research stated that people who spend less than 2 hours a day are less likely to suffer cardiac problems or early death compared to people who sit in front of the TV or computers for 4 hours or more each day.  

"In fact, compared with those spending less than two hours a day on screen-based entertainment, there was a 48% increased risk of all-cause mortality in those spending four or more hours a day and an approximately 125% increase in risk of cardiovascular events in those spending two or more hours a day. These associations were independent of traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, BMI, social class, as well as exercise."

These findings have led the authors of the study to advocate for health guidelines for recreational sitting; considering that many people have jobs that are already require them to sit in front of computer screens for long periods of time.

I found this interested because I find myself sitting in front of computers all day long for work and then I go home most evenings and sit infront of a computer screen to prepare for the next day.  On top of that I relax by watching TV to much.

Connections that can be made are we are becoming a much less active culture.  Our lives are helped so much by modern technology like computers and other electronics but at what cost.  It is good that studies are being done so that our global culture can take a look at this more closely and come up with ways of relaxing and still staying healthy.

If you are interested in reading more about this click on the following link.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110110164736.htm