Ideas worth spreading

Inside the ant colony

2,033,857 views |

Deborah Gordon |

TED-Ed

• July 2014

Ants have one of the most complex social organizations in the animal kingdom; they live in structured colonies that contain different types of members who perform specific roles. Sound familiar? Deborah M. Gordon explains the way these incredible creatures mate, communicate and source food, shedding light on how their actions can mimic and inform our own behavior. [Directed by Steve Belfer Creative Inc., narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Steve Belfer Creative Inc.].

Ants have one of the most complex social organizations in the animal kingdom; they live in structured colonies that contain different types of members who perform specific roles. Sound familiar? Deborah M. Gordon explains the way these incredible creatures mate, communicate and source food, shedding light on how their actions can mimic and inform our own behavior. [Directed by Steve Belfer Creative Inc., narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Steve Belfer Creative Inc.].

This video was produced by TED-Ed, TED’s youth and education initiative.

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Meet the educator

Deborah Gordon

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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.

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TED-Ed Original lessons feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators.

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This video was produced by TED-Ed, TED’s youth and education initiative.

Read more about TED-Ed.