Post AsTxSFMzbUdSPJjk8m by cptbutton@dice.camp
(DIR) More posts by cptbutton@dice.camp
(DIR) Post #AsTc8W8jRgkrabokJk by golgaloth@writing.exchange
2025-03-27T09:57:19Z
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@futurebird So tell me, she who knows, I've got some bugs coming up in the next section of my series of novellas. What's a good documentary on ant behaviour, possibly bees, for me to steal some cool bits for my alien bugs? My characters will be literally crawling into the nest, so I need a good primer. A lecture recorded at a university might also work.#SciFi #bugs #ants #AmWriting #writing
(DIR) Post #AsTd7mXt41a88SnSoy by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-27T10:21:08Z
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I'm so glad you asked. These are general overviews of some of the most famous kinds of ants that everyone should know about.@golgaloth The Wood Ant Supercolonyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXKn1f5yVe0Atta Cephalotes: The Leafcutter Ants, Ants who Farm Fungihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8n0SkIGARuoWeaver Ants (Ants who live in trees and make silk nests)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSmM3fVHwQQArmy Ants (Ants that inspired horror stories)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prwdLQi2LFQBull Ants (one of the largest ants)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vRRYsVUkwU
(DIR) Post #AsTdWt6lnk25jF5IDg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-27T10:25:43Z
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@golgaloth The most common error I've seen in #scifi representations of social insects is a deep misunderstanding about the role of the queen and the nature of the "hive mind" (such as it is)1. Queen ants are not rulers, they are more like ovaries. The colony is like a body every cell is important.2. Ants are individuals and do whatever they want. It just so happens that what they want is for the colony to thrive, but they can get in 'arguments' about HOW to do that most efficiently.
(DIR) Post #AsTe3oZjfuvfE7KkEK by golgaloth@writing.exchange
2025-03-27T10:31:39Z
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@futurebird Oh, now that's the good stuff. A deliberate misinterpretation by one faction within the society will have created a false worship of the insectoid social structure. Discovering the reality of that by being forced to traverse the nest because *spoilers* they discover more accurately how it works. Love it. That'll definitely work in my story.
(DIR) Post #AsThmG2nCyG11VoBYO by golgaloth@writing.exchange
2025-03-27T11:13:17Z
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@futurebird Wait, wait. So ants harvest resin from trees to piss on an make their own anti-biotics which they use to treat diseases within the nests? Holy shit.
(DIR) Post #AsThxiHCa5eXlo0iaO by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-27T11:15:23Z
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@golgaloth My least favorite scifi social insect trope is the one where they kill the queen then the whole colony dies or falls apart. I've written a bit about what happens when the queen dies in real ant colonies here:https://www.tumblr.com/futurebird/687923061354364928/the-queen-is-dead?source=share
(DIR) Post #AsTihU4ZipqJ2Tvhuy by aral@mastodon.ar.al
2025-03-27T11:23:19Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth Such a beautiful article 💕
(DIR) Post #AsTj8ITsvbcSuGYO6y by alexhaist@wandering.shop
2025-03-27T11:28:21Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth this makes me wonder, is there any hierarchy within an ant colony? Do ants give each other orders, or is it all suggestions and individual agreement?
(DIR) Post #AsTlnjEyXdDtgHSoOu by alec@perkins.pub
2025-03-27T11:58:18Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth I particularly liked a certain book that I’m reluctant to name for spoiler reasons because it uses this trope well and sets up a nice twist around it.
(DIR) Post #AsTpRxHQ3vBKfYToVU by dawcas@fe.disroot.org
2025-03-27T10:49:36.569401Z
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@golgaloth @futurebird you may also take a look at termites, they are eusocial cockroaches basically and they have a king and a queen. This makes me think about how many bees and wasps are not eusocial but solitary creatures, maybe you can play around by adding similar species to those you want to create, but with really different biology and behavior, and the confusion and dangers this situation may bring to characters.
(DIR) Post #AsTpnOrWhsjUIOaunY by JessTheUnstill@infosec.exchange
2025-03-27T12:43:05Z
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That's really interesting and cool! I would have thought they're more like bees where a new queen emerges when the old one dies (or when the hive gets too big and it's time to swarm).@futurebird @golgaloth
(DIR) Post #AsTxSFMzbUdSPJjk8m by cptbutton@dice.camp
2025-03-27T14:08:14Z
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@golgaloth @futurebird One thing I like in #CJCherryh's "Serpent's Reach" was the idea that each majat (space ant) was an individual, but each time two majat meet they "take taste", i.e. exchange saliva, which updates their memories to be identical.
(DIR) Post #AsTxjA2MgSQsn79a7s by Illuminatus@mstdn.social
2025-03-27T14:09:55Z
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@cptbutton @golgaloth @futurebird Did that lead to funny conclusions if they saw two humans kiss?
(DIR) Post #AsTxjBcCoghDgYvid6 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-27T14:12:00Z
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@Illuminatus @cptbutton @golgaloth Humans kissing might also have roots in food sharing, the way that people used to chew food for babies when weaning them before we got all weird about that process.
(DIR) Post #AsTxq7A3m5gFtn4JSS by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-27T14:13:15Z
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@Illuminatus @cptbutton @golgaloth The weaning food chewing thing kind of grosses me out. But, it makes so much sense... what are you going to do sitting in a cave? Give a baby a carrot? Invent the food processor?
(DIR) Post #AsTy832jpAYSL6CAQi by cptbutton@dice.camp
2025-03-27T14:16:31Z
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@futurebird @Illuminatus @golgaloth Probably shouldn't mention birds where the parent feeds the babies by puking into their mouths...
(DIR) Post #AsU3cOL5i652qW4H5c by 60sRefugee@spacey.space
2025-03-27T15:17:59Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth Do keep in mind of course that ants aren't capable of "wanting" anything or reflecting on what they're doing. They're robots blindly carrying out a program created by a million iterations of selection. The question is whether an ant colony as a whole can have a distributed meta-consciousness. Now for organisms where individuals have larger brains (naked mole rats?) then you start blurring the lines between a hive and a society.
(DIR) Post #AsU6EoBiFlzpvX7yXQ by mortaine@dice.camp
2025-03-27T15:47:21Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth I loved reading this, and found it both informational and very touching!
(DIR) Post #AsVgrsxHMiN8VJO3Wa by froge@social.glitched.systems
2025-03-27T11:27:57.555Z
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@futurebird@sauropods.win @golgaloth@writing.exchange if you're into insect-adjacent scifi I highly recommend the award winning series "Children of time" by Adrian TchaikovskyIt's about ants, and spiders, and insects... and what I would lovingly refer to as "space Australia on an arc ship"very enjoyable and well researched novel, the insect/spider scifi aspects are grounded in reality and it shows
(DIR) Post #AsVhExDhftBuOM4Meu by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-28T10:16:44Z
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@froge @golgaloth It's a running joke that every few weeks someone on here recommends that I read "Children of time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky (every single person who has done this has turned out to be basically awesome and super interesting, so welcome to the exclusive club.) But also? Thanks a lot for forcing me to reset the timer again. 🙄https://avtanski.net/projects/days/?eyJzIjoiMjAyNS0wMy0yOFQwNTo0NjowMy43MzVaIiwidGwiOiJJVCBIQVMgQkVFTiIsInRpIjoiIiwidWwiOiJEQVlTIiwiYmwiOiJTSU5DRSBzb21lb25lIG9uIE1hc3RvZG9uIHJlY29tbWVuZGVkIFwiQ2hpbGRyZW4gb2YgVGltZVwiICBieSBBZHJpYW4gVGNoYWlrb3Zza3kgdG8gZnV0dXJlYmlyZCAobXlybWVwcm9wYWdhbmRpc3QpICIsImJpIjoiIn0=
(DIR) Post #AsVhJQinvjep31kc5o by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-28T10:17:32Z
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@froge @golgaloth We made it to 52 days last time ya'll!Maybe we can reach 100
(DIR) Post #AsVhjXj8VUu8ItMEsq by a@beige.party
2025-03-28T10:22:12Z
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@futurebird @froge @golgaloth I would recommend that book, but I don’t want to upset the timer. 😅
(DIR) Post #AsVnUT0INwIL2IZuPA by ehproque@neopaquita.es
2025-03-28T11:26:42Z
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@futurebird @froge @golgaloth did you check the Doors of Heaven? Every other chapter is about an alternate universe where a different species evolved to rule the Earth. His last two books are also about other forms of life that are very different from anything we know (sorry, can't elaborate without massive spoilers)
(DIR) Post #AsVr73z1e0Goao51CS by david_chisnall@infosec.exchange
2025-03-28T12:07:19Z
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@futurebird @froge @golgaloth In spite of seeing the counter reset several times, I haven't seen you say if you've actually read the books or not! If so, did you enjoy them? If not, what do we need to get the counter to for you to try them?
(DIR) Post #AsVz3MJEMm4Ru8H8D2 by bucknam@mastodon.social
2025-03-28T13:36:16Z
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@futurebird @froge @golgaloth how often do folks mention “A Deepness in the Sky” by Vernor Vinge (one of my faves)?
(DIR) Post #AsW83U5YLGDlcS0p84 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-28T15:17:11Z
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@alexhaist @golgaloth From my observations sometimes a particular ant will take the lead in some project such as moving to a new nest. You see one particular ant get very excited, she will lead others to the new location. She will drag them by the mandible if they don't follow, even pick them up and carry them. She will pick up a larvae, leave it half-way there: forcing another ant to complete the job. But, as the process accelerates more ants start being pushy like her and then they all move.
(DIR) Post #AsW8GAaa9U4KuIZhcO by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-28T15:19:28Z
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@alexhaist @golgaloth I'd call that taking the lead and giving orders to some degree, but I think it's just a function of how excited the ant is about the colony being in the new nest vs. the old. I don't know that it would always be the same ants getting bossy and pushy like that. I have noticed that majors (the larger ants who do nest defending) and queens are NEVER the ants who become pushy. It's nearly always median workers. I think because they explore and have more information.
(DIR) Post #AsW8S2novZycEUQfR2 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-03-28T15:21:37Z
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@alexhaist @golgaloth You can almost hear these ants going "let's go! let's go! let's go!" They are so excited about the nest move and almost so active that it seems like they will make everyone move if they have to carry the entire colony themselves. Similar things happen when one ant discovers an exciting food source. She starts whipping everyone up to help collect it.
(DIR) Post #AsY7tcY0QRzlH4XNx2 by alexhaist@wandering.shop
2025-03-29T14:24:41Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth what a fascinating form of consensus building and dragging along other ants to join the action. That is so cool. Thank you!! I will be thinking about this for a long time.
(DIR) Post #AsY7xKXbJcKiaQ7JFg by alexhaist@wandering.shop
2025-03-29T14:25:22Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth if you ever put a paint dot on a pushy ant, I would be fascinated to know if it's the same one or if everyone gets a turn. Ahhh so cool!
(DIR) Post #AwbLPh7B61bIxHePbs by happykhan@mstdn.science
2025-07-28T19:08:44Z
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@futurebird @golgaloth do ants kill sick queens and replace them with a new healthy one? How does this behavior compare to bees? And mole rats?
(DIR) Post #AwbXcndnLIcMPTvGM4 by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-07-28T21:25:39Z
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@happykhan @golgaloth I have not read about or seen ants doing that. Though there are variations in ant colonies they may be:Monogynous (single queen) or Polygynous (multiple queens) this varies by species but in some species you have mixtures of both. In these polygynous to monogynous colonies there may initially be four or five queens, but the workers slowly pick them off or they kill each other until there is only one. Queens that lay fewer eggs are least likely to survive.
(DIR) Post #AwbXs5ztNNZvgXYIPg by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-07-28T21:28:25Z
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@happykhan @golgaloth The polygynous to monogynous colonies are often founded by a group of sisters all from the same nest, they fly together, mate, then found a colony together. (But they can also be unrelated)This isn't what I'd call the "typical" ant strategy. But, it does give young colonies "back up queens" while introducing the risk of *no* queen because they all kill each other. It's very dramatic ... I'm fascinated by how workers pick sides. They don't always side with their mom!
(DIR) Post #AwbY09LQoYIyNqT2lU by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-07-28T21:29:53Z
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@happykhan @golgaloth Bees are better at traveling with their queen than ants. Maybe that's why they will sometimes kill a queen who isn't laying eggs. They can make a new one and swarm with her until she's mated and keep going. Though I know less about bees. Hope someone else explains how that works.