1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,879 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelbam here with another classic episode from 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:14,040 Speaker 1: the archives. This one is about an interesting corner of 4 00:00:14,120 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: behavior and psychology, and I don't want to bury the lead, 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: so I'm gonna let former Lauren take it away. Hey 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren vogel Bam Here. You've probably seen stories 7 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: about exemplary bravery and battle soldiers and volunteers who risk 8 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: everything to pull injured compatriots out of harm's way so 9 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:35,280 Speaker 1: they can receive much needed medical attention. But some of 10 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: these heroes will never receive any medals, parades, or commendations 11 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: for their work, not because of injustice, but because their aunts. 12 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: A species called Megaponara analysis are termite hunting ants that 13 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: scientists say not only rescue injured comrades, but also treat 14 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: their wounds. The survival rate among those injured in this 15 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: combat is remarkable. Up to These ants live in colonies 16 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: in sub Saharan Africa that average nearly one thousand members. 17 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:04,600 Speaker 1: The ants wage war on termites, raiding their nests and 18 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: dragging the dead back behind the lines as a source 19 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: of food. These raids, however, often come at a heavy price. 20 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: The termites bite and crushed the ants, ripping off limbs 21 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: and snapping off heads. Eric Frank, a scientist at the 22 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: University of Lausan in Switzerland, has studied these ants and 23 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: seen them do battle with termites at a research station 24 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:24,800 Speaker 1: in the Komaay National Park, one of the largest protected 25 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,400 Speaker 1: areas in West Africa in northern Cote Deuvois. He would 26 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,680 Speaker 1: watch the ants drag the injured back to their nest. 27 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 1: But because the ants make their homes underground, it was 28 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: difficult to divine exactly what happened next. So Frank and 29 00:01:37,160 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 1: his team set out to discover what was happening inside 30 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:43,320 Speaker 1: the nest. First, they captured entire ant colonies and set 31 00:01:43,319 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: them up in artificial nests. They then hooked up infrared 32 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: cameras to keep tabs on the insects. The scientists also 33 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: captured termites and then allowed the ants to stage a raid. 34 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: Many ants were gravely injured during the melee. Many lost limbs. 35 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,440 Speaker 1: Their able bodied comrades responded by staging a battlefield triage, 36 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: separating the gravely wounded from the only slightly wounded. The 37 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: seriously injured those who lost at least five limbs often 38 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: died on the battlefield, because, as the researchers noted, they 39 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: didn't seem to want to be helped, that bend and 40 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:16,919 Speaker 1: distort their bodies, making it difficult for their sisters in 41 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:19,800 Speaker 1: arms to carry them to safety. Those whose wounds were 42 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: less serious, however, allowed themselves to be cared for. Once 43 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: back at the nest, the healthy ants set up an 44 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: aid station where they tended to the wounded, licking their injuries. 45 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: Ants who did not receive this treatment had an eight 46 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: percent chance of dying within twenty four hours after the battle. 47 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,760 Speaker 1: Those who were treated had a survival rate of up 48 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 1: to nine and lived to fight another day, to the 49 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: benefit of the whole community. Frankness Team theorized that the 50 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: licking saves lives by preventing the onset of infection. Today's 51 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: episode is based on the article Ants Rescue and Treat 52 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: Wounded comrades on House to Forks dot com, written by 53 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: John Partano. Brain Stuff is production of i Heeart Radio 54 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,639 Speaker 1: in partnership with how Stuffworks dot Com, and it's produced 55 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: by Tyler Plain. Before more podcasts to my heart Radio, 56 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:11,799 Speaker 1: visit the i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 57 00:03:11,880 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.