Like a lung that breathes once a day
September 8, 2015 12:03 PM Subscribe
It's not the wind, and it's not internal heating. Scientists, "hiking through the woods at 4am with a laptop, a lantern, custom-built electronics, and a hole saw" have finally rigorously tested the various hypotheses about how the elaborate mounds which termites build drive the air needed for their fungus farms in and out.
...the thin outer flutelike conduits heat up rapidly during the day relative to the deeper chimneys, pushing air up the flutes and down the chimney in a closed convection cell, with the converse situation at night. These cyclic flows in the mound flush out CO2 from the nest and ventilate the colony, in an unusual example of deriving useful work from thermal oscillations.
the universe makes some cool stuff. wowee. mind blowing.
posted by Annika Cicada at 12:23 PM on September 8, 2015
posted by Annika Cicada at 12:23 PM on September 8, 2015
So cool! Though I felt bad for that termite compound he broke into.
posted by grumpybear69 at 12:31 PM on September 8, 2015
posted by grumpybear69 at 12:31 PM on September 8, 2015
Fascinating! Though, that termite queen...{{{shudder}}}
posted by msbubbaclees at 12:35 PM on September 8, 2015
posted by msbubbaclees at 12:35 PM on September 8, 2015
Termites are kind of incredible. Ants vs termites. At about 3:25, the termites, having got the queen into an escape tunnel, start blocking the tunnel up behind them.
posted by curious nu at 12:49 PM on September 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by curious nu at 12:49 PM on September 8, 2015 [5 favorites]
It's not the wind, and it's not internal heating. Scientists, "hiking through the woods at 4am with a laptop, a lantern, custom-built electronics, and a hole saw" have finally rigorously tested the various hypotheses
I read this part, and thought it was going to be about whether a tree in the woods makes noise with no one around.
posted by andoatnp at 12:51 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
I read this part, and thought it was going to be about whether a tree in the woods makes noise with no one around.
posted by andoatnp at 12:51 PM on September 8, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's not the wind, and it's not internal heating.
I guess when you get down to it I just don't like chili all that much.
posted by Wolfdog at 12:55 PM on September 8, 2015 [7 favorites]
I guess when you get down to it I just don't like chili all that much.
posted by Wolfdog at 12:55 PM on September 8, 2015 [7 favorites]
That's an amazing video, curious nu. Such incredibly complex behaviour.
posted by clawsoon at 1:12 PM on September 8, 2015
posted by clawsoon at 1:12 PM on September 8, 2015
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posted by mandolin conspiracy at 12:19 PM on September 8, 2015