We are just like ants: the proof

As I kid I spent hours playing with ants. I’d move stuff around their nests, watching how they responded to whatever I did, amazed at how dedicated they were to whatever they were doing and would completely ignore whatever I did.

Turns out we’re not so much different. This little experiment in sidewalk design proves it (Via @Rbanks).

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6 Comments » | Posted Thursday, November 18th, 2010 at 8:34 am in pop culture

6 thoughts on “We are just like ants: the proof”

raccet - November 20, 2010 at 12:49 pm #

Seems to be like a form of low-level auto-pilot mechanism. Some of them are more intelligent (no autopilot) and cross the way. Auto-pilot is used for saving energy.

Mike Nitabach - November 20, 2010 at 11:14 am #

I don’t see why that “experiment” is at all interesting. Yeah, people don’t walk into shit that’s in their way. They walk around it or over it, depending on what seems like less effort. And people in cities see cones and tape and police barriers directing their movements all the time, so it’s perceived as a complete waste of time and effort for them to stop and wonder why they are being directed and whether it’s for a good reason.

The only thing this points out in terms of similarity between human beings and ants is that we are both animals, and all animals must make efficient decisions about allocation of effort in achieving their goals.

Txerra - November 19, 2010 at 9:50 am #

That’s because you respect the law….you should come to my country…that wouldn’t work :-)

Scott Berkun - November 19, 2010 at 10:26 am #
Txerra: and what country would that be?

I think this experiment would go differently in different locations. If they put this in the middle of a busy subway station where there was too much traffic, eventually people would step over barriers like these.

But on this particular block there wasn’t quite enough traffic, or a long enough wait, for people to feel the need to do that.
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raccet - November 20, 2010 at 12:49 pm #
Seems to be like a form of low-level auto-pilot mechanism. Some of them are more intelligent (no autopilot) and cross the way. Auto-pilot is used for saving energy.

Mike Nitabach - November 20, 2010 at 11:14 am #
I don’t see why that “experiment” is at all interesting. Yeah, people don’t walk into shit that’s in their way. They walk around it or over it, depending on what seems like less effort. And people in cities see cones and tape and police barriers directing their movements all the time, so it’s perceived as a complete waste of time and effort for them to stop and wonder why they are being directed and whether it’s for a good reason.

The only thing this points out in terms of similarity between human beings and ants is that we are both animals, and all animals must make efficient decisions about allocation of effort in achieving their goals.