A massive raft of fire ants found on Austin's Lake Travis
On Wednesday morning, one Austinite shared video of one such raft drifting on Lake Travis.
Texas woman starts AI awareness series after seeing fake photos of Texas floods shared online
When their underground nests flood, fire ants link their legs and jaws together to create buoyant, self-assembled mounds. These floating colonies can contain thousands of ants — and they can still bite or sting if disturbed.
Fire ants are widespread in Texas, and researchers at Texas A&M University are studying how they respond to flooding.
The insects bite one another and interlock their limbs, forming tightly packed rafts that don't sink. Their waxy skin helps repel water and keep the group afloat, as seen in the video from David Todd, a viewer of Nexstar's KXAN:
'It's called a self-organizing or self-assembling process. And it's something only social insects do,' Ed LeBrun, a research scientist at the University of Texas' Brackenridge Field Lab in central Austin, said.
'There are a lot of other structures that ants make in a similar way. For example, army ants will make bridges across rivers,' LeBrun added.
Creating a 'raft,' however, is more rare in the ant world: Fire ants are the only kind that do this, according to LeBrun.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Taiwan plans AI projects to boost economy by $510 billion
TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan plans to launch its "Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects" initiative, aimed at generating more than T$15 trillion ($510 billion) in economic value by 2040 as it strives to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. Premier Cho Jung-tai said in a Facebook post late on Tuesday that Taiwan aims to leverage its information and communications technology (ICT) sector and world-leading semiconductor manufacturing capabilities to become a global AI influencer and a "smart technology island." Under the initiative, Taiwan has identified three core technologies as strategic priorities: silicon photonics, quantum technology and AI robotics. Silicon photonics is a technology that Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, and many other firms in the industry are actively developing. The government aims to position Taiwan as a global leader in silicon photonics by aligning the sector with future AI development needs. Taiwan also hopes to become a key hub for AI robotics by tapping its hardware and ICT supply chains. Industry groups, including one led by Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, have backed the move with the formation of the Taiwan AI Robotics Industry Grand Alliance on Tuesday to support the local development of AI robotics and related ecosystems. Taiwan also plans to establish a quantum technology industry chain. The 10 projects also include the development of sovereign AI - ability to build and control domestic AI technologies - and computing infrastructure, efforts to balance AI development across different regions of the island, and the introduction of AI across a wide range of industries. The government also calls for expanding investment in AI innovation, with more than T$100 billion ($3.08 billion) in venture capital funding, as it seeks to become a global hub for AI talent and investment. The initiative targets the creation of 500,000 jobs and the establishment of three international-level research laboratories.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Taiwan plans AI projects to boost economy by $510 billion
TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan plans to launch its "Ten Major AI Infrastructure Projects" initiative, aimed at generating more than T$15 trillion ($510 billion) in economic value by 2040 as it strives to become a global leader in artificial intelligence. Premier Cho Jung-tai said in a Facebook post late on Tuesday that Taiwan aims to leverage its information and communications technology (ICT) sector and world-leading semiconductor manufacturing capabilities to become a global AI influencer and a "smart technology island." Under the initiative, Taiwan has identified three core technologies as strategic priorities: silicon photonics, quantum technology and AI robotics. Silicon photonics is a technology that Taiwan's TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, and many other firms in the industry are actively developing. The government aims to position Taiwan as a global leader in silicon photonics by aligning the sector with future AI development needs. Taiwan also hopes to become a key hub for AI robotics by tapping its hardware and ICT supply chains. Industry groups, including one led by Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, have backed the move with the formation of the Taiwan AI Robotics Industry Grand Alliance on Tuesday to support the local development of AI robotics and related ecosystems. Taiwan also plans to establish a quantum technology industry chain. The 10 projects also include the development of sovereign AI - ability to build and control domestic AI technologies - and computing infrastructure, efforts to balance AI development across different regions of the island, and the introduction of AI across a wide range of industries. The government also calls for expanding investment in AI innovation, with more than T$100 billion ($3.08 billion) in venture capital funding, as it seeks to become a global hub for AI talent and investment. The initiative targets the creation of 500,000 jobs and the establishment of three international-level research laboratories.
Digital Trends
5 hours ago
- Digital Trends
Self-charging robots pave way for never-ending revolt
If you've always been one to scoff at the idea of a robot uprising, then this story out of China might give you pause for thought. It's about what is apparently the first-ever humanoid robot that's able to change its own battery pack. Yes, you read that right — a humanoid robot that's able to realize when it's running low on juice, and then go through the process of swapping out its battery for a fully charged one. All by itself … without any human intervention. The robot, called Walker S2, is built by Shenzhen-based Ubtech, so we know who to blame if those bots do ever take over. Ubtech released a video (top) showing Walker S2 autonomously swapping out its battery, a process that will enable it to get back to work, whether that involves subjugating humans or hopefully something a little less alarming, like explaining meal times to newly arrived hotel guests. Walker S2, which has been in development since 2015, is 64 inches tall (162 cm), tips the scales at 94.8 pounds (64 kg), and runs on a 48-volt lithium battery. Each fully charged battery gives the robot enough power to walk for two hours or stand for four hours. When it puts a flat battery into the charger, it takes about 90 minutes for it to fully charge. Currently, Ubtech's humanoid robot is still in the research and development stage, though it's also being tested in a range of commercial and industrial settings, as well as in education for teaching about robotics and AI. The company's aim is to use its humanoid robot to enhance human capabilities and improve people's quality of life, particularly in areas like healthcare, education, and service industries, smoothly integrating it into human environments. The technology powering humanoid robots has been making rapid advancements in the last few years, with major developments in AI helping to make them smarter than ever. Tech companies in China, the U.S., and beyond are in a race to produce the most sophisticated robots that not only move in a human-like way, but think like a human, too, and clear progress is being made in terms of both physical movement and decision-making abilities. But a full-on takeover? Well, any chance of that still feels like a ways off.
