Physics Colloquium: Colony or ant, who's in charge?

Abstract:

Cooperative transport of large items is a behavior that is extremely rare outside humans and ants. Indeed, this is a complex behavior that requires non-trivial coordination not only in tugging but also in more cognitive tasks such as navigation and problem solving. I will present several aspects of this behavior while focusing on the origins of this group cognition. Is it a manifestation of the abilities of a single ant or, rather, an emergent consequence of the communication between a large number of individuals?

Event Organizer: Prof. Yoram Dagan