Saturday, February 6, 2010

Nature's Incredible Invasions

Extraordinary photography reveals the incredible swarm intelligence that lies behind animal invasions.

Millions of free-tailed bats form a living tornado in which complex information is exchanged.

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Huge shape-shifting shoals of herring use swarm intelligence to detect predators.
Billions of alkali flies form a rolling wave to evade the gaping mouths of gulls.
Vast numbers of shore birds synchronise their migration with swarming horseshoe crabs,
a feat of timing unparalleled in the animal world.



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Fire ants invade and destroy computer equipment and, when their nest is flooded, create living rafts with their bodies. Inside a driver ants' nest we discover the inner workings of a brain made from thousands of individuals. One swarm is even helping to save the planet from the greenhouse effect.

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Incredible images show the true complexity of the swarm and how their intelligence impacts on our world.

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By BBC

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