{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Architects of the underworld","description":"You\u2019ve probably seen those lists of the so-called \u201cwonders of the world.\u201d Many are works of architecture: the Great Wall, the pyramids, the colosseum, Taj Mahal. But these lists are, in a sense, always incomplete. Our world holds other architectural wonders, after all\u2014albeit ones that are hidden from human eyes, made from different materials, and a bit scaled down. I\u2019m talking, of course, about the wonders of the underworld. I\u2019m talking about ant nests. My guest today is Dr. Walter Tschinkel. Walter is an Emeritus Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University, where he\u2019s led a distinguished career as a myrmecologist\u2014a scientist who studies ants. He\u2019s the author of the recent book Ant Architecture: The Wonder, Beauty, and Science of Underground Nests. For decades now, Walter has been delving into ant colonies using a variety of creative, homegrown techniques. Foremost among these is his method of \u201cnest casting\u201d\u2014the process of making durable, three-dimensional casts of ant nests. In this conversation, Walter and I do a bit of \u201cAnts 101.\u201d We discuss the notion of ant colonies as superorganisms. We talk about how Walter developed his nest-casting technique (not to mention other ingenious methods). We discuss where the blueprint for an ant nest resides, and whether ants might appreciate the beauty of their own nests. We also talk about the scientific process\u2014about the joys of low-tech problem solving, about the importance of negative results, and about the pleasure of pursuing a good scientific mystery.   One last thing I\u2019ll mention: a podcast really can\u2019t do justice to these ant nests. So be sure check out the show notes below\u2014and also Walter\u2019s gorgeously illustrated book\u2014to see these architectural wonders for yourselves. Alright, folks, on to my conversation with Dr. Walter Tschinkel. Enjoy!   A transcript of this episode is available here.   Notes and links 5:00 \u2013 Dr. E. O. Wilson, one of the starts of myrmecology, recently passed away at the age of 92. Read a recent tribute to him. 6:00 \u2013 Dr. Tschinkel\u2019s previous book, published in 2013, was The Fire Ants. 6:30 \u2013 See a recent popular article about harvester ants. 10:20 \u2013 An interactive map showing the diversity of ant species. 15:00 \u2013 On the \u201csuperorganism\u201d concept, see the book by the same name by Bert H\u00f6lldobler & E. O. Wilson. 20:30 \u2013 A figure from an academic paper showing the excavation of a giant leafcutter ant colony in Brazil. See also this 2012 popular article. 24:05 \u2013 A photo of Dr. Tschinkel\u2019s original plaster cast that has made the rounds on the internet. You can also view numerous other images of Dr. Tschinkel\u2019s nest casts in this recent paper. Finally, check out this recent video showcasing some of Dr. Tschinkel\u2019s methods and nest casts. 29:00 \u2013 A recent paper on the division of labor in leafcutter ants, and another paper critiquing the concept of division of labor as applied to ants. 38:30 \u2013 A recent editorial on null results in science. 39:00 \u2013 An article by Dr. Tschinkel describing his technique for building artificial ice nests. 43:00 \u2013 A photo showing the contrast between the charcoal-covered nest disk of an old harvester ant colony with the in-progress (uncharcoaled) nest disk of a new colony. 54:15 \u2013 Here Dr. Tschinkel is referring to two books: On size and life, and Scaling: Why is animal size so important? 56:00 \u2013 A recent article on the so-called \u201cinsect apocalypse.\u201d   Dr. Tschinkel recommends the following books: The Ants, by Bert H\u00f6lldobler & E. O. Wilson The Superorganism, by Bert H\u00f6lldobler & E. O. Wilson The Guests of Ants, by Bert H\u00f6lldobler & Christina Kwapich For more on ant architecture, be sure to check out Dr. Tschinkel\u2019s fascinating book!   Many Minds is a project of the Diverse Intelligences Summer Institute (DISI) (https:\/\/disi.org), which is made possible by a generous grant from the Templeton World Charity Foundation to UCLA. It is hosted and produced by Kensy Cooperrider, with help from assistant producer Cecilia Padilla. Creative support is provided by DISI Directors Erica Cartmill and Jacob Foster. Our artwork is by Ben Oldroyd (https:\/\/www.mayhilldesigns.co.uk\/). Our transcripts are created by Sarah Dopierala (https:\/\/sarahdopierala.wordpress.com\/).   You can subscribe to Many Minds on Apple, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, Google Play, or wherever you like to listen to podcasts. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions. Feel free to email us at: manymindspodcast@gmail.com. For updates about the show, visit our website (https:\/\/disi.org\/manyminds\/), or follow us on Twitter: @ManyMindsPod. ","author_name":"Many Minds","author_url":"https:\/\/disi.org\/manyminds\/","html":"