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[Levi]

Bizarre ant colony in abandoned Polish nuclear weapons bunker. 

So apparently there was an ant colony built directly above a ventilation pipe. The ants fall in the ventilation pipe and can't crawl back up, so they join this new colony of half-starved, half-frozen, non-reproducing ants with no queen who gets its population entirely from these fallen ants. 

Its basically ant hell.  They stack the corpses of their dead into massive ant-cemeteries.  They don't have much food, but the researchers think they might be getting enough nutrients (to support some of them) from either the bat-shit or the dead-ant eating mites who live in the ant-graveyard.

[hops]

Reminds me of the Hollow Men poem.

[Kot]

Poland in a nutshell, really.

[hops]

TIL Poland is all-male.

[Sirus]

Bizarre ant colony in abandoned Polish nuclear weapons bunker. 

So apparently there was an ant colony built directly above a ventilation pipe. The ants fall in the ventilation pipe and can't crawl back up, so they join this new colony of half-starved, half-frozen, non-reproducing ants with no queen who gets its population entirely from these fallen ants. 

Its basically ant hell.  They stack the corpses of their dead into massive ant-cemeteries.  They don't have much food, but the researchers think they might be getting enough nutrients (to support some of them) from either the bat-shit or the dead-ant eating mites who live in the ant-graveyard.

This is pretty much the definition of metal 

[ChairmanPoo]

... although superficially looking like a functioning colony with workers teeming on the surface of the mound – is rather an example of survival of a large amount of workers trapped within a hostile environment in total darkness, with constantly low temperatures and no ample supply of food. The continued survival of the ‘colony’ through the years is dependent on new workers falling in through the ventilation pipe.

...am I the only one finding this vaguely reminiscent of Gulags? Seriously, I kept expecting the article to make a reference while reading it.

[Neonivek]

Ohhh goodness I just realized "I" might be the one who has to make the Divinity Original Sin 2 thread. AHHHH!

The only time I made a good game thread was Starbound... and I did that as a way to split the people up so there wouldn't be as much issue with people who dislike and like the game.

[Eric Blank]

... although superficially looking like a functioning colony with workers teeming on the surface of the mound – is rather an example of survival of a large amount of workers trapped within a hostile environment in total darkness, with constantly low temperatures and no ample supply of food. The continued survival of the ‘colony’ through the years is dependent on new workers falling in through the ventilation pipe.

...am I the only one finding this vaguely reminiscent of Gulags? Seriously, I kept expecting the article to make a reference while reading it.

Nope.

Living in these conditions would be truly horrifying.
Good thing for them that they're probably too dumb to actually understand their situation beyond being cold and hungry. Just doin' their little ant things like nothing's wrong.

Also, their little pile will slowly grow until the room fills up, then the pipe, then there will be no hole for future generations to fall into. You know, if the colony topside remains populated for a few thousand years.

[pisskop]

Its a beautiful reallife example of life doing its thing, even if it serves no other purpose than to die in darkness.

[Egan_BW]

TIL Poland is all-male.

Er, ant workers are all female?

[Frumple]

At some point, I seem to have become a 'dog person'. You know, one of those people that randomly has dog treats in their pockets and stuff.

That... I'm not entirely sure what that is (some kind of canine equivalent of a crazy cat lady? They definitely exist but I'm not aware of a specific word for the worse examples), but none of the folks that are called dog people that I've met randomly had dog treats in their pocket. Neither do cat people carry... catnip or somethin', I guess. That's actually just kinda' weird :V

Think the closest I've seen to it was from folks who actually had a job working with the animal in question. Vets, trainers, etc.

[Flying Dice]

At some point, I seem to have become a 'dog person'. You know, one of those people that randomly has dog treats in their pockets and stuff.

That... I'm not entirely sure what that is (some kind of canine equivalent of a crazy cat lady? They definitely exist but I'm not aware of a specific word for the worse examples), but none of the folks that are called dog people that I've met randomly had dog treats in their pocket. Neither do cat people carry... catnip or somethin', I guess. That's actually just kinda' weird :V

Think the closest I've seen to it was from folks who actually had a job working with the animal in question. Vets, trainers, etc.

Streetmeat vendors...

[EnigmaticHat]

I met a dog person once.  I could feel my sanity slipping away from the revelation...

[Rolepgeek]

TIL Poland is all-male.

Why do you think they're called Poles?

[ChairmanPoo]

TIL Poland is all-male.

Why do you think they're called Poles?

I dunno, but let's pool our colective knowledge to find out.