| Gel ant farms are just one of the hundreds of | | | | always been something of a mystery. Therefore, in |
| spin-offs from the space program. We?ve always | | | | order to discover how they did it, NASA scientists |
| thought of space research as being a bit wacky. Ever | | | | tried to develop a clear gel which would make the |
| since the Russians launched Laika the dog into space | | | | ants visible as they built their tunnels. |
| 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. Of course, any tunnel built in sand or soil |
| wondering what space research is all about. | | | | would collapse under this extreme G force. High G |
| It's all about gravity | | | | wouldn?t affect the ants, of course, they are easily |
| Well, it turns out that ant farms also feature high on | | | | strong enough to take such forces in their stride. |
| Nasa?s list of worthwhile experiments. Since the | | | | Up it went the Gel Ant Farm on a space shuttle and |
| space program began there have been dozens of | | | | the ants started tunnelling in their transparent gel. As |
| experiments devised to discover how processes that | | | | I understand it, the tunnels were a somewhat more |
| rely on gravity, or are affected by gravity, operate | | | | wiggly than ones made in the same gel by the same |
| when freed from that ubiquitous force. | | | | species on earth so gravity was thought to play a |
| From trying to grow unfeasibly-large crystals of silicon | | | | part in the ants? subterranean efforts. But, as far as |
| (for micro-chip manufacture) to plant growth | | | | I know, we didn?t find out much else. |
| behavior, it's all been done. Some are successful and | | | | Not to worry though, the bonus is that we now |
| some aren?t. But that?s science, of course. | | | | have a huge range of gel ant farms that are |
| The mystery of underground navigation | | | | educational and great fun for kids. Some people say |
| And one of these experiments was the now famous | | | | that non-stick frying pans are the only good thing |
| Gel Ant Farm. Quite how ants manage to build and | | | | ever to come out of the space program ? not so ? |
| navigate their way through subterranean tunnels has | | | | we now have gel ant farms as well! |