A labyrinth, a load to be carried and a challenge between the ants and the humans: teamwork will prove to be the key to success.
“Who is better at manoeuvring a large load through a labyrinth?”. This is the question behind the experiment developed by the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot.
The experiment compared humans and ants on the same battlefield. The surprising details, published in PNAS by Prof Ofer Feinerman and his team, reveal the pros and cons of working together compared to going it alone.
Ants and humans
The experiment involved humans and ants of the species Paratrechina longicornis, so called because of its long antennae, as its scientific name suggests. This common species of black ant is about 3 millimetres long and is sometimes called the ‘crazy ant‘ because of its tendency to run around for no apparent reason.
Although the two species are so different, they have certain characteristics that make them ‘similar‘ in some ways. Firstly, ants are highly social creatures, like humans, although the latter sometimes, and some more or less, seek solitude. Ants are also similar to humans in that they are the only creatures in nature that work together to transport loads far beyond their size.
It all started with a piano
The research team, led by Tabea Dreyer, recreated a real-life version of the classic Piano Mover puzzle, exploring possible ways to move a given object from point A to point B in a complex environment.
Instead of a piano, participants were given a large T-shaped object to manoeuvre through a rectangular room divided into three chambers connected by two narrow corridors.
The labyrinth experiment
The ants, who are not competitive creatures, were invited to take part in the experiment because they were deceived. In fact, they were led to believe that the heavy load they had to carry was an edible load to be carried back to their nest.
It was easier for humans. They participated voluntarily.
Ants and humans performed the task in three combinations:
- a single user;
- in a small group (about 7 ants and 6 to 9 individuals);
- in a large group (about 80 ants and 26 individuals).
At some points, the groups of people were asked to avoid communicating by words or gestures, even wearing surgical masks and sunglasses to hide their mouths and eyes. All this was done to make the comparison as meaningful as possible.
Results of the survey
The human’s advantage was evident in the individual test. Thanks to cognitive skills, the human subject was able to calculate and plan the challenge, skilfully outperforming the ant, which was faced with the same difficulties.
In groups, especially large ones, the picture was reversed. Thanks to what scientists call collective memory, the ants outperformed humans in many cases, avoiding repeating mistakes and maintaining a defined direction. Humans’ abilities declined when communication between group members was restricted in order to better replicate the ants’ conditions. The experts believe that humans were more attracted to short-term solutions that were not beneficial in the long run.
The secret? Cooperation and simplicity
But what makes ant collective intelligence so effective that it surpasses that of humans? Ofer Feinerman, the scientist who led the research, explained: Ants tend to cooperate effectively for two main reasons. First, the interests of all ants within a colony are almost perfectly aligned, reducing potential conflicts and facilitating cooperation. Secondly, the simplicity of the ants allows them to understand the situation comparably, which allows them to integrate smoothly into the collective effort’.
The ants therefore acted cohesively and strategically, demonstrating a collective memory and avoiding repeating mistakes. Humans, on the other hand, failed to improve significantly as a group and often chose short-term solutions that were not beneficial in the long term.
The study highlights the importance of cooperation and collective decision-making in ants, which makes them more efficient at solving problems than humans.
