It's all about gravity
Well, it turns out that ant farms also feature high on Nasa�s list of worthwhile experiments. Ever since the beginning or the space program, scientist have tried to capitalize on the opportunity to have a gravity-free environment in which to do experimnents.
From trying to grow unfeasibly-large crystals of silicon (for micro-chip manufacture) to plant growth behavior, it's all been done. Some work and others don't. But that�s science, of course.
The mystery of underground navigation
And one of these experiments was the now famous Gel Ant Farm. Quite how ants manage to build and navigate their way through subterranean tunnels has always been something of a mystery. So, to try to discover exactly how they did it, scientists at NASA began a project to develop a transparent medium in which ants would be able to build tunnels, just as in soil but, all-importantly, through which they could also be seen actually doing it.
The gel also needed to be sufficiently stable to withstand the high G-forces associated with launch and re-entry. Of course, any tunnel built in sand or soil would collapse under this extreme G force. High G wouldn�t affect the ants, of course, they are easily strong enough to take such forces in their stride.
Up it went the Gel Ant Farm on a space shuttle and the ants started tunnelling in their transparent gel. As I understand it, the tunnels were a somewhat more wiggly than ones made in the same gel by the same species on earth so gravity was thought to play a part in the ants� subterranean efforts. But, as far as I know, we didn�t find out much else.
Never mind though, the good thing is that we now have a fantastic selection of gel ant farms that are just great for kids to study and learn from. Some people say that non-stick frying pans are the only good thing ever to come out of the space program � not so � we now have gel ant farms as well!
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Find out for yourself all about the fun and educational value of gel ant farms at http://www.antfarmcentral.com/gelantfarms.html
