Post AjaZ2fZGsBEduHCExE by rdnielsen@floss.social
(DIR) More posts by rdnielsen@floss.social
(DIR) Post #Aja9R6Pk73p9JKjIES by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-04T09:01:55Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
People use the "square cube law" to feel like there can't possibly be giant ants... but they just ignore all the giant crabs the size of army duffle bags. The barriers to huge ants are not as robust as you think, and they can be overcome!
(DIR) Post #Aja9dVmLdLpfS8DhjM by Tak@glitch.taks.garden
2024-07-04T09:03:47Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird We can do it! We just need to believe!
(DIR) Post #Aja9uen9NR5eKRlr3w by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-04T09:06:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@BenAveling There are shockingly large land crabs. If you will allow water? They just get bigger.
(DIR) Post #AjaA5CWmnmazr591M0 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-04T09:09:33Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Tak Giant ants *are* possible! I won't give up!
(DIR) Post #AjaA7ufRf9LRKaUJAu by moira@mastodon.murkworks.net
2024-07-04T09:09:36Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird i was not aware of crabs the size of army duffel bags[looks up giant crabs]yikeI PINCH takes on a whole new meaning there
(DIR) Post #AjaAHLF6E6rqMHf1pQ by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-04T09:10:23Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@moira "i was not aware of crabs the size of army duffel bags"I'm so glad that today you get to meet them!
(DIR) Post #AjaAbZkfzVEN9M4x96 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-04T09:15:39Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
... really ants the size of apples would be enough of an improvement to give us a run for our money. Especially factoring in the increase in intelligence given the larger number of mushroom bodies in an hymenopteran style brain of that size. The brains of eusocial insects are mysterious for their small size, they do more than seems possible with so few cells. So what happens when an ant has a brain the size of a mouse? But with ant architecture?
(DIR) Post #AjaAgvGLRSElJQRPxg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-04T09:16:37Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
(The Supreme Court has pushed me over the edge. I'm now just focusing on a very different kind of regime change. )
(DIR) Post #AjaApsZKpICNZ2av7A by 6G@mastodon.social
2024-07-04T09:18:04Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Tak@futurebird RE #giantants ⁉️ #tracheolesThere were ⭕#dragonflies 275 million years ago (oxygen was 32%) had wingspans of 75cm (2.5 feet) and weighed over 450 grams (1lb)The method of ⭕breathing LIMITS bug sizeOxygen has to travel deep inside the body to reach every cell, ending up in extremely thin tubesThere is a limit in how deep these breathing tubes can go insidehttps://www.iflscience.com/what-s-the-maximum-size-that-insects-could-theoretically-reach-65877https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=l79FuGuk1qE&feature=youtu.be
(DIR) Post #AjaB6zQUaGYLkrcL8S by futurebird@sauropods.win
2024-07-04T09:20:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@6G @Tak "The method of ⭕breathing LIMITS bug size"There is a connection between higher O2 and large arthropods. HOWEVER, the largest arthropod, arthropleura was still around after the O2 levels fell. So the theory that it could only exist with high O2 is being questioned.
(DIR) Post #AjaBOxYqG39RBM5joO by electric_gumball@mastodon.social
2024-07-04T09:24:27Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I, for one, welcome our new ant overlords...
(DIR) Post #AjaDMT22zbUPpMgvg0 by IngaLovinde@embracing.space
2024-07-04T09:46:28Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird "The barriers to huge ants are not as robust as you think, and they can be overcome!", said in voice of evil (?) scientist
(DIR) Post #AjaDQnBY0OKVURCIgy by justafrog@mstdn.social
2024-07-04T09:47:19Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird I wonder how much you could achieve by breeding ants specifically for size.Simulating the normal mating in a controlled manner might be difficult, but if we can create giant ants which would totally not strive to rule this world and wrest hegemony from humans, it'll all be worth it.
(DIR) Post #AjaDxHwfAyhY9mjMkC by timelordiroh@mstdn.iroh.tv
2024-07-04T09:53:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I suddenly feel like I should've been nicer to the ants crawling up my leg today. I'm so sorry ants! I will be kind to my ant overlords
(DIR) Post #AjaHLljmMQTdMt4LSK by RobinMarx@mastodon.social
2024-07-04T10:31:12Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird You’ll show them! You’ll show them alll!!!
(DIR) Post #AjaQ8GFuzqb9YJjgKu by Jorsh@beige.party
2024-07-04T12:09:35Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird You are terrifying, and I love you.
(DIR) Post #AjaXU6rLJPJuSabdQ0 by writeon1@mastodon.online
2024-07-04T13:31:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird Why do you hate picnics?
(DIR) Post #AjaZ2fZGsBEduHCExE by rdnielsen@floss.social
2024-07-04T13:49:28Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@futurebird That's interesting speculation about insect brain efficiency and scaling. Birds also seem to have more efficient brains than mammals, with corvids having intelligence equivalent to great apes. If that scaled with body size, ostriches would be geniuses. But it doesn't necessarily: ostriches are 46 times larger than crows but their brains are only 5.7 times larger (from https://sizegraf.com/blog/list-of-brain-weights-for-animals/). So bigger ants might not be a lot smarter.
(DIR) Post #AjaaH6syCdp6dhrO64 by econads@mendeddrum.org
2024-07-04T14:03:10Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @BenAveling Aquatic crabs surely are cheating since they have water to bypass the inverse square law.
(DIR) Post #Ajaj64xnuLbh52w5nU by nyrath@spacey.space
2024-07-04T15:42:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird @Tak
(DIR) Post #Ajb5k9vz2oWJ4UbLRg by alexhaist@wandering.shop
2024-07-04T19:55:53Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird you'd make a good mad scientist (if you don't already identify as one).
(DIR) Post #Ajb6OecIO3lPoZhZs8 by deepmud@mas.to
2024-07-04T20:03:09Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird I'd prefer not to have such big ants, because then I fear the ant relatives, termites, would also get big, and would be able to consume a house in a half hour. Lol.
(DIR) Post #Ajb7ZwXoAm8iYWY9k8 by _maleficentgirl@troet.cafe
2024-07-04T20:16:26Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird NopeNopeNope *runs away screaming like she's being chased by Shelob*
(DIR) Post #Ajd2Hyq4n9Id0Od6ae by wigalois@dresden.network
2024-07-05T18:26:35Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@futurebird friggin' lasers, eh?