Science and Culture Today Discovering Design in Nature
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Animal Algorithms

Cataglyphis fortis
Photo credit: Markus Knaden, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology.

Ants Build Landmarks for Navigation

The difficulty of finding your way back home from a long distance is partly solved in a tiny ant’s brain. Read More ›
honey bee
Photo credit: Wolfgang Hasselmann via Unsplash.

The Role of Learning in the Honey Bee Waggle Dance

Learning is largely a programmed behavior, governed by a type of algorithm, particularly for animals with limited cognitive ability. Read More ›
turtle ant
Photo: Cephalotes atratus, a turtle ant, by Eduardo Estrada, Wildlife & Conservation Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Ant Navigation Fascinates Engineers

Eric Cassell asks, “How did these complex programmed behaviors originate?” The question deserves a better answer than, “They evolved.” Read More ›
zebrafish
Photo: Zebrafish, by Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Intelligent Design in Animal Self-Location and Navigation

A question is whether such mechanisms exist in more ancient brain regions of other animals. A new study has identified a self-location mechanism in zebrafish. Read More ›
eastern towhee
Photo: An eastern towhee, by Shenandoah National Park, via Flickr.

Birds, Bats, Insects: Field Work on Animal Flight Reveals Wonders of Intelligent Design

The capabilities of flying animals continue to amaze scientists, and explanations challenge their best efforts. Does evolutionary theory help? Read More ›
honey bee
Photo credit: Tanner Smida, CC BY 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Bees Feel Pain. Therefore…Insect Rights?

As we learn more from research about how various life forms respond to experiences, a more complex picture may raise political issues. Read More ›
harvester ants
Photo credit: Bob Peterson from North Palm Beach, Florida, Planet Earth!, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Irreducible Complexity in Ant Behavior Triggers a Recognition of Intelligent Design

Recent research draws an unapologetic parallel between human engineering and biological systems. Read More ›
Large_brown_mantid_close_up_nohair
Photo: A large brown mantis, via Wikimedia Commons.

Do Invertebrates Have Feelings?

Just as vertebrates differ greatly in intelligence and sentience, invertebrates may differ greatly too. Read More ›
elephant seal
Photo: Elephant seals, San Simeon Beach, by David Coppedge.

The Elephant Seal in the Room

You’ve heard about salmon, whales, and sea turtles. Now learn what the clumsy-looking elephant seal accomplishes navigation-wise. Read More ›
harvester ants
Photo: Harvester ants, by Donkey shot, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.

Ants Use Algorithms Similar to Those of the Internet

Optimization algorithms enable the ant colony to decide how many ants to send to a given food source and when to drastically reduce the number. Read More ›

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