By observing the Shiwakushikeari ant species for over two years, evolutionary biologist Eisuke Hasegawa found that approximately 20% of the worker ants do not work.
Strategically having a backup in human institutions may have benefits, especially in highly unpredictable environments such as a fire department or an emergency room.
What's interesting about human networks is that we are starting to build a decentralized network, like the BitTorrent and Bitcoin protocols, which resembles an ant colony more than a traditional, top-down, centralized hierarchy. And in this decentralized network, participants follow protocols without a boss, just like ants follow their genetic code without a leader.
On another note, I posit the response threshold also applies to making changes in your life. Big changes occur when the pain of business as usual becomes higher than the pain of change.
Cool. I feel less guilty now when I am not actively working. I am helping to maintain the survival of our species by standing by.
Strategically having a backup in human institutions may have benefits, especially in highly unpredictable environments such as a fire department or an emergency room.
What's interesting about human networks is that we are starting to build a decentralized network, like the BitTorrent and Bitcoin protocols, which resembles an ant colony more than a traditional, top-down, centralized hierarchy. And in this decentralized network, participants follow protocols without a boss, just like ants follow their genetic code without a leader.
Interesting. It's like we're slowly catching up to the Natural State of being, shedding the old models and organizational structures.
On another note, I posit the response threshold also applies to making changes in your life. Big changes occur when the pain of business as usual becomes higher than the pain of change.
Are they the same 30% of ants who only jump in when needed or are 30% of ants on vacation at any given time?
That’s what the second graph is about! Neither working nor non-working ants are fixed.
right but in the regular order of things, are the non working ants rotated, or do the ones who don’t work, never work until they need to?
They won't unless the need reaches their threshold.