| Gel ant farms are just one of the hundreds of | | | | began a project to develop a transparent medium in |
| spin-off from the space program. We've always | | | | which ants would be able to build tunnels, just as in |
| thought of space research as being a bit wacky. Ever | | | | soil but, all-importantly, through which they could also |
| since the Russians launched Laika the dog into space | | | | be seen actually doing it. |
| for no apparent reason (other than to get one over | | | | The gel also needed to be sufficiently stable to |
| on the Americans) and since Alan Shepard used a six | | | | withstand the high G-forces associated with launch |
| iron to hit a golf ball on the moon, we've been | | | | and re-entry. Any sand tunnel would collapse under |
| wondering what space research is all about. | | | | these unusual forces. High G wouldn't affect the ants, |
| Well, it turns out that ant farms also feature high on | | | | of course, they are easily strong enough to take |
| Nasa's list of worthwhile experiments. Since the space | | | | such forces in their stride. |
| program began there have been dozens of | | | | Up it went the Gel Ant Farm on a space shuttle and |
| experiments devised to discover how processes that | | | | the ants started tunneling in their transparent gel. As |
| rely on gravity, or are affected by gravity, operate | | | | I understand it, the tunnels were a somewhat more |
| when freed from that ubiquitous force. | | | | wiggly than ones made in the same gel by the same |
| From seeing how unfortunate spiders manage to spin | | | | species on earth so gravity was thought to play a |
| webs to the growing of perfect crystals, they've all | | | | part in the ants' subterranean efforts. But, as far as I |
| been tried. Some are successful and some aren't. But | | | | know, we didn't find out much else. |
| that's science, of course. | | | | Never mind though, the good thing is that we now |
| The mystery of underground navigation | | | | have a fantastic selection of gel ant farms that are |
| And one of these experiments was the now famous | | | | just great for kids to study and learn from. Some |
| Gel Ant Farm. Quite how ants manage to build and | | | | people say that non-stick frying pans are the only |
| navigate their way through subterranean tunnels has | | | | good thing ever to come out of the space program - |
| always been something of a mystery. So, to try to | | | | not so - we now have gel ant farms as well! |
| discover exactly how they did it, scientists at NASA | | | | |