What Humans Can Learn From Ants

Famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil is notoriously inaccurate in his weather predictions, but there is still much that humans can learn from other species.

by

Mark Moffett

February 2, 2011

Get the Big Think newsletter on Substack

Famed groundhog Punxsutawney Phil is notoriously inaccurate in his weather predictions, but there is still much that humans can learn from other species.

Entomologist

The Game Issue October 2025

Test Special Issue

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.

3 videos 8 articles

A large square window frames a view of rows of houses and tall apartment buildings under a partly cloudy sky.

Featured Classes

A stylized collage featuring a woman's face, abstract patterns, and a winding arrow in green, red, and black on a divided background.

How to Rewire Your Brain for Learning

Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Oakland University

A geometric diagram of interconnected colored circles on a dark dotted background, resembling a neural network or abstract data structure.

Launch Machine Learning Projects That Work

Co-Founder & CEO, Gooder AI, and Author, The AI Playbook

Related Content

Data center cooling is becoming an energy crisis. Aerospace engineering can help us solve it.

The AI energy debate focuses on supply — but smarter planning could deliver more computing from the same megawatts.

by Mark Fenton

Aerial view of two large rectangular data center buildings with surrounding infrastructure and parking, situated in a rural area.

Starts With A Bang

Groupthink in science isn’t a problem; it’s a myth

Scientists are notoriously resistant to new ideas. Are they falling prey to groupthink? Or are our current theories just that successful?

by Ethan Siegel

solar system model

Mini Philosophy

If humans went extinct, could we re-evolve?

Maybe — just don't expect a carbon copy.

by Jonny Thomson

Six orange origami shapes on a light background, with hand-drawn arrows connecting them to illustrate a progression or transformation—evoking themes of change and even human extinction.

Resilience is overrated: Unlock the real secret to business longevity

Andrew Markell — philosopher, martial artist, and CEO advisor — argues that true endurance comes from desire, ritual, and learning to evolve through chaos.

by Eric Markowitz & Ethan Siegel

A collage featuring Andrew Markell thinking at a desk, a close-up of a handshake, and a person standing alone, overlaid with swirling red and green arrows.

Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.

© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.