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Japanese scientists show that lazy ant workers step in to replace fatigued workers, improving colony long-term persistence.
A quick glance at an ant foraging trail or beehive shows throngs of tireless workers feeding and protecting their colonies. A closer look reveals otherwise. In fact, many ant, bee and termite workers are slackers. In some cases, four-fifths of workers appear to just rest, eat, clean themselves or walk about. The remaining workers toil hard.
Scientists have spotted lazy workers in social insects since the 1980s. Yet insect societies, similar to humans, compete on efficiency and productivity. So what explains the existence of lazy workers?
One possible explanation is that lazy workers slack to ensure the colony's survival against a wipeout of active workers, says a study published in Scientific Reports. In this study, a group of scientists at Hokkaido University and Shizuoka University in Japan found that when active ants are disabled by a rare catastrophe, the inactive ants, rested and energetic, step in to keep the colony running.
They have so much to teach us, these humble ants.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by ledow on Wednesday March 15 2017, @12:53PM (1 child)
Is it really that hard to fathom?
If every ant has to operate at 100% for the colony to function, anything out of the ordinary will wipe out the colony.
If a few ants (not every one) are able to slack off, rest, recuperate, then it's beneficial to them when they are chased, hunted, exhausted, ill, etc.
If some ants can slack off without ill effect, some ants will always slack off until they realise it's against their own survival, when they'll work to make up the shortfall.
Does it really take genius research to understand this?
Apparently so, because there are still bosses who think that a quick stop at a watercooler for a social chat is somehow "not working" and going to destroy the company - only if everyone starts doing it all the time, which you will notice immediately and will be symptomatic of some other problem. If you don't have time for a few-minute social without it affecting the company as a whole, you have far more serious problems than someone talking about the football or whatever.
And similarly, there's always someone who will take advantage of that, and you have to manage them so that you don't lock them into 100% fatigue, but so that they realise - for their own good - they need to limit it or pick up the pace for that particular deadline or whatever.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday March 15 2017, @04:30PM
Well, according to those ads I read, the great people operate at 130%, so those doing only 100% are already slacking off.
Case in point: if you make minimum wage, you need to operate at 250% just to make the rent and pay the health insurance. Try to survive at 100%, and you'll realize how silly that is.