Ants Are Smart

It’s S.T.E.M. Friday! Join us and enjoy learning about the mysteries of science, the wonders of technology, the ingenuity of engineering, and the usefulness of math. “Secret of the Plant-killing Ants” is mostly about the ants’ fascinating ability to communicate and work together in a way quite familiar to us. Ants have “business cards”, ants go to school, they are dedicated gardeners, and they work as an army of one. Scientists are now discovering more and more behaviors that were not even considered years ago, but now it’s clear more than ever that the word ‘impossible’ should not be in a scientist’s vocabulary. Look at the book cover, for example. It doesn’t seem that much is going on, but these two ants are having a sort of conversation in which important information is exchanged. It’s much more than just “Hi!” Both ants want to know “Are you from my nest?” “What is your job?” “Can you tell me where food is located?” “Where is home?” And ants really know how to work together. I was simply amazed when I read about ants plugging gaps and holes on the ground with their bodies to make a ‘bridge’ over which the rest of the colony will speed their way to the nest. What an amazing team work for the colony’s sake. Click here for more "Secrets" books, and go to Shelf-employed for other posts on S.T.E.M. Friday.

I want to share the wonderful news that on January 1, 2012, my new four-book series Extreme Animals in Extreme Environments will be available in paperback and in library binding. I am very excited about this series!
“Secret of the Plant-Killing Ants…and More,” Enslow Publishers, 2009.
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