This past weekend’s Radiolab, a rerun from 2005, included a fascinating article on the research done by Stanford’s Debra Gordon on the colonial organization and mental ability of ants.

Think Or Thwim posted about Gordon and similar studies that show the syngery of insect groups.

In the early 1990s Deborah Gordon at Stanford University conducted some experiments in which she painted foraging ants green and housekeeping ants blue. Then she introduced additional food to the nest. The next day some of the housekeeping ants had switched to help deal with the extra food. Likewise, when she messed up the nest, some of the foraging ants switched to housekeeping duties.

Also: Cynical-C linked to a time-lapse video of ants consuming a dead gecko.

It’s pretty nasty to watch, but if you imagine the complex communication system in action, it’s pretty awesome.