The Atlantic
A parasite gives its hosts the appearance of youth, and an unmatched social power in the colony.
Susanne Foitzik / Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Deep in the forests of Germany, nestled neatly into the hollowed-out shells of acorns, live a smattering of ants who have stumbled upon a fountain of youth. They are born workers, but do not do much work. Their days are spent lollygagging about the nest, where their siblings shower them with gifts of food. They seem to elude the ravages of old age, retaining a durably adolescent physique, their outer shells soft and their hue distinctively tawny. Their scent, too, seems to shift, wafting out an alluring perfume that endears them to others. While their sisters, who have nearly identical genomes, perish within months of being born, these death-defying insects live on for years and years and years.
Jan 2: Listener question show â we answer your science questions
Where are the missing dinosaurs, why does cold make you pee, do insects feel pain and much more.
Social Sharing
Where are the missing dinosaurs, why does cold make you pee, do insects feel pain and much more
CBC Radio ·
Posted: Jan 01, 2021 12:51 PM ET | Last Updated: January 1
Schoolchildren in 1955 had almost as many questions as our listeners do. (Orlando /Three Lions/Getty Images)
Quirks and Quarks54:00Listener question show â we answer your science questions, like: Where are the missing dinosaurs? Why does cold make you pee? Do insects feel pain? And much more.