Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Walking with Ants (Premium)

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hi, Thomas here. You're listening to a preview episode. You can enjoy the entire story tonight by subscribing to our supporters' feed. There you'll get access to the entire back catalogue, bonus episodes, and more, and it's all completely ad-free. Click the link below to learn more and thank you so so much. Me and the team really appreciate your support. One by one, the ants march in front of you. When you look down at them from human height, it may seem like they follow each other in a precisely straight line. But being the same size as they are, you notice this isn't quite the case. Occasionally one might veer a little to the left,

Starting point is 00:01:09 and another a little to the right. But somehow they correct their deviations from the path and all get to the same place in about the same amount of time. It's an act of wordless coordination that they carry out using pheromones. These are the sense that pioneering ants leave behind to mark the way for their followers. The next aunts to come along can add their own sense to the original path. They can leave behind messages, saying things like, yes, I went this way. Or watch out if need be. To others who follow in their footsteps, the yes scent feels right. In contrast, the watch out scent isn't bad, but it just feels off. A bit like hearing a scratchy record when you expect crystal clear sound.

Starting point is 00:02:32 They do this so that a path that leads somewhere good gets reinforced over time, and more ants in the colony know to go there too. and more ants in the colony know to go there too. A less helpful path will soon get drowned out, slowly fading away until it's forgotten. As your eyes follow this particular line of ants, you notice that some are going a different direction from the others. That's because these ants are on a constant search for resources and new places to nest. These little creatures don't stop when they encounter an obstacle. For example, a barrier like a tree trunk might require them to turn first one way, then back the other, and then a third way if they want to get where they're going. And somehow, they manage these complicated directions.

Starting point is 00:03:51 How do they know to do that, you might wonder? This is just one of the many curious details in the lives of ants. While a ground might look flat from above, here at Antscale, there are far more ups and downs to life. Ants see the world through such different eyes and have such different capabilities, that it's worth trying to imagine things from their perspective. You'll do that today by following one young ant as she leaves the colony and explores the outside world for the first time.

Starting point is 00:04:47 Your guide is Rosie, a worker aunt, and you see her emerging from her colony just ahead. She's a little smaller than the other aunts, and she looks even more so next to the golden mound of sand that looms over you both like a pyramid. That is the entrance to Rosie's home. Looking closely, you can see how her exoskeleton shines dark red and black. The light reflects from it and you can see how clean she is. She may live in the dirt, but she isn't carrying any on her. You take a moment to appreciate the glow that seems to emanate from her body.

Get Sleepy: Sleep meditation and stories - Walking with Ants (Premium)

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