The emergent genius of ant colonies

TED2003 · 20:31 · Filmed Feb 2003
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With a dusty backhoe, a handful of Japanese paint markers and a few students in tow, Deborah Gordon digs up ant colonies in the Arizona desert to understand their complex social system.

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Deborah Gordon

Ecologist

By studying how ant colonies work without any one leader, Deborah Gordon has identified striking similarities in how ant colonies, brains, cells and computer networks regulate themselves. Full bio