Original subtitles

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ANNOUNCER: WHEN YOU SEE THIS SYMBOL YOU KNOW YOU'RE

WATCHING TELEVISION THAT'S EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATIONAL.THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

DYLAN: I'M DYLAN DREYER.

TODAY, WE'RE SHRINKING DOWN AND TUNNELING DEEP

UNDERGROUND TO EXPLORE THE AMAZING TINY WORLD OF

ANTS.

WE'LL TRAVEL ALONG WITH ANT COLONIES AS THEY MAKE

THEIR WAY ACROSS THE GLOBE AND FIND OUT HOW FIRE ANTS

LIVE UP TO THEIR NAME.

NATHAN: I BELIEVE THAT THROUGH STUDYING THE FIRE

ANTS, THEY HAVE A LOT TO TEACH US.

DYLAN: WE'LL WITNESS MINIATURE MARVELS OF

NATURE AND DISCOVER HOW THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUALS

COMMUNICATE AND WORK AS ONE.

THE JOURNEY STARTS RIGHT NOW.

♪ MUSIC ♪

BIOLOGISTS BELIEVE INSECTS ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY 90

PERCENT OF ALL LIFE ON EARTH,

AND ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL TYPES OF

INSECTS ARE ANTS.

THESE TINY CREATURES HAVE CONQUERED NEARLY EVERY

CORNER OF THE GLOBE AND PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE

FOOD CHAIN OF LIFE, BUT THEY CAN SOMETIMES WREAK

UNINTENDED HAVOC OVER THE ECOSYSTEMS THEY INVADE.

THERE ARE 22 KNOWN SPECIES OF FIRE ANTS,

BUT THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST FEARED AND REVILED OF

THEM ALL, THE RED IMPORTED FIRE ANT.

IT DOESN'T BELONG HERE IN THIS SOUTH GEORGIA LAWN OR

EVEN ON THIS CONTINENT, BUT IT'S HERE TO STAY.

THE FIRE ANT IS ACTUALLY NATIVE TO THE FLOOD PLAINS

AND SAVANNAHS OF SOUTH AMERICA.

BUT SOMETIME IN THE 1930'S,

THEY HITCHED A RIDE ON A CARGO SHIP AND WERE DUMPED

IN AN ALABAMA PORT.

THE RESULTS WERE DISASTROUS.

INVICTA, AS THEY'RE CALLED BY BIOLOGISTS,

HAD FOUND A LAND OF GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

THE PEOPLE AND ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA HAVE BEEN

THEIR NEIGHBORS EVER SINCE.

[CHILDREN LAUGHING]

GIRL: OW!

OUCH!

DYLAN: THE FIRE ANT HAS CONFOUNDED ALL EFFORTS TO

ERADICATE IT OR EVEN SLOW IT DOWN.

AT ONE POINT IN TIME, EXPERTS THOUGHT THESE ANTS

COULDN'T REPRODUCE WHEN THE AVERAGE COLD

TEMPERATURE WAS TEN DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

BIOLOGISTS BELIEVED THAT SURELY THE WINTER WEATHER

WOULD PROVIDE A FIREWALL.

THEY WERE WRONG.

WE NOW KNOW FIRE ANTS CAN SURVIVE WINTER

TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS ZERO DEGREES SIMPLY BY

HUNKERING DOWN DEEP IN THEIR NEST.

NOW THEY'VE EXPANDED THEIR POTENTIAL RANGE TO A

QUARTER OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.

THE FIRE ANT, IT WOULD SEEM,

IS UNSTOPPABLE.

[LAWNMOWER STARTING]

DYLAN: THE OLDEST AND LARGEST WORKERS ARE KEY TO

THE ANT'S SURVIVAL.

THEY'RE THE SCOUTS AND FORAGERS.

IT IS THEIR JOB TO FIND FOOD,

LOTS OF IT, AND BRING IT BACK TO THE COLONY.

HOW DO YOU FEED A CITY OF A QUARTER-MILLION?

FOR HUMAN CITIES, IT TAKES A HUGE WORKFORCE AND A

ROCK-SOLID LOGISTICS OPERATION.

THESE ARE THE FIRE ANTS' SPECIALTIES.

TUNNELS RADIATE OUT FROM THE MOUND LIKE SUBWAY

LINES AS FAR AS ONE HUNDRED FEET.

ON A HUMAN SCALE, THIS SYSTEM WOULD CARRY

TRAVELERS MORE THAN A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES.

THERE'S EVEN AN EXIT EVERY FOOT OR SO FOR FORAGING

ANTS TO POP OUT FOR A LOOK AROUND.

INSIDE THE TUNNEL, RECRUITS WAIT FOR THE CALL

TO ACTION TO HELP GATHER DINNER.

LIKE US, FIRE ANTS ARE OMNIVORES,

BOTH PLANT AND MEAT EATERS.

THEY'RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR SUGARS,

CARBOHYDRATES, AND PROTEINS.

THEY'RE NOT PICKY EATERS.

A POTATO CHIP IS A GOURMET MEAL.

FIRE ANTS ALSO HAVE A SWEET TOOTH.

SUGAR WATER IS AN IDEAL MIX OF HYDRATION AND

ENERGY.

SUGAR POWERS THE WORKERS, AND IF IT'S AROUND,

THEY'LL FIND IT.

WHEN A SCOUT FINDS FOOD, SHE LEAVES A CHEMICAL

TRAIL FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.

THESE WORKERS WILL DRINK THEIR FILL AND REGURGITATE

IT BACK IN THE COLONY TO ENSURE THAT ALL ARE FED.

FIRE ANTS ARE OPPORTUNITY FEEDERS.

THEY'LL TAKE FOOD WHEREVER THEY CAN GET IT.

WHEN FOOD IS SCARCE, THEY'LL EVEN HACK OFF THE

SEEDLINGS OF NEW CROPS FOR A MEAL.

NO FARMLAND IS SAFE FROM THEIR APPETITE.

THE ANTS TUNNEL RIGHT THROUGH A CROP FIELD AND

EAT ANYTHING IN ITS WAY.

EVERY YEAR, FIRE ANTS COST FARMERS IN THE UNITED

STATES MORE THAN 750 MILLION DOLLARS IN LOSSES

BY RAVAGING SEEDED FIELDS, DAMAGING IRRIGATION,

AND INJURING LIVESTOCK.

FIRE ANT COLONIES CAN INCLUDE UP TO FIVE HUNDRED

THOUSAND INDIVIDUAL ANTS.

A COLONY'S QUEEN CAN LIVE UP TO EIGHT YEARS AND CAN

LAY HUNDREDS OF EGGS EVERY DAY.

IT'S ESTIMATED THAT FIRE ANTS NOW COVER MORE THAN

530,000 SQUARE MILES IN THE U.S.

ALONE.

WITH NUMBERS LIKE THAT, THESE LITTLE CREATURES

LEAVE BIG FOOTPRINTS.

COMING UP NEXT, WE'LL GET AN UP-CLOSE LOOK AT ONE OF

THE SMALLEST WONDERS OF THE WORLD,

AND LATER, WE'LL DISCOVER HOW OUT OF MANY

THE SUPERORGANISM IS BORN.

DON'T GO AWAY.

OUR JOURNEY WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "JOURNEY".

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

WHEN YOU'RE A SMALL INSECT,

THE GREAT WIDE WORLD CAN BE A PRETTY SCARY PLACE.

WIND CAN WHIP YOU UP OFF THE GROUND AND KNOCK YOU

AROUND.

BIG, LUMBERING HUMANS CAN STEP ON YOUR HOME,

AND HUNGRY PREDATORS LURK AROUND EVERY CORNER.

TO SURVIVE IN THE FACE OF ALL OF THESE THREATS,

ANTS HAVE DEVELOPED AN IMPORTANT SKILL WE COULD

ALL USE A LITTLE MORE OF, TEAMWORK.

WHILE A GOOD STORM CAN RUIN OUR DAY AND EVEN

THREATEN OUR HOMES, THE FIRE ANT IS ALWAYS

PREPARED.

A FLOOD IS COMING.

THE FIRE ANTS' SUPER ORGANISM INSTINCTS KICK

INTO GEAR.

WORKERS QUICKLY OPEN UP DOZENS OF NEW EXITS AND

EVACUATE THE YOUNG.

SCOUTS SCRAMBLE TO FIND HIGHER GROUND OR AN ESCAPE

ROUTE FROM THE RISING WATER.

THE SEARCH IS A DEAD END, BUT THE ANTS AREN'T

FINISHED.

IN MINUTES, THE COLONY ASSEMBLES INTO A RAFT.

THE PRECIOUS QUEEN AND ALL OTHER NON-SWIMMERS ARE

CAREFULLY ROUNDED UP.

THEY WILL NOT BE LEFT VULNERABLE TO THE

SCORCHING SUN OR PREDATORS.

WE ARE WITNESSING ONE OF NATURE'S ANCIENT WONDERS.

THIS IS HOW THE TINY FIRE ANT HAS SURVIVED THE

YEARLY EPIC FLOODING OF ITS SOUTH AMERICAN

HOMELAND.

REMARKABLY, IT IS THE ONLY INSECT KNOWN TO DO THIS.

THE RAFT CAN FLOAT ALONG FOR MONTHS UNTIL THE WATER

RECEDES OR IT HITS DRY LAND.

THE COLONY DISENTANGLES, DISEMBARKS,

AND SENDS SCOUTS IN SEARCH OF A NEW HOME.

A KNOTHOLE WILL DO FOR NOW.

JUST WHO CHOOSES THE NEW HOME AND HOW IS STILL A

MYSTERY.

THE PRECIOUS LITTLE ONES ARE WHISKED AWAY TO

SAFETY.

FOR YEARS, BIOLOGISTS COULD ONLY GUESS AT HOW

THEY ACCOMPLISHED THIS UNIQUE AND UNBELIEVABLE

TASK UNTIL NOW.

NATHAN: THE WAYS IN WHICH FIRE ANTS WORK TOGETHER

AND COOPERATE AS A COLONY IS UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT WE

AS HUMANS ARE ABLE TO REPLICATE TODAY,

BUT I BELIEVE THAT THROUGH STUDYING THE FIRE ANTS,

THEY HAVE A LOT TO TEACH US IN THE AREAS OF

ENGINEERING, MATERIAL SCIENCE,

AND EVEN ROBOTICS.

DYLAN: NATHAN MALOT IS A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

STUDENT AT THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

HE ANALYZES THE COOPERATIVE BEHAVIOR OF

FIRE ANTS.

ALONG WITH HIS PROFESSOR, DAVID HU,

THEY HAVE DECIDED TO PUT INVICTA THROUGH A SERIES

OF EXPERIMENTS TO TEASE OUT THE SECRETS TO THEIR

ABILITIES.

DAVID: FIRE ANT RAFTING HAD ALREADY BEEN

WELL-DOCUMENTED, BUT NOT VERY WELL EXPLAINED.

WE KNEW THAT WE COULD SPECULATE ALL DAY,

BUT TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE ANTS,

WE DECIDED TO BRING THEM INTO THE LAB AND OBTAIN

VISUAL DATA.

NATHAN: A SINGLE ANT'S EXOSKELETON IS PARTIALLY

WETTING.

THIS IS WHY WHEN YOU PUT A SINGLE ANT ON THE WATER,

IT WILL FLOUNDER, BUT WHEN YOU PUT A HUNDRED OR EVEN

A THOUSAND ANTS ONTO THE WATER,

THEY LINK THEIR BODIES TOGETHER,

FORMING A FLOATING RAFT.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RAFT,

YOU'LL SEE THAT THE ANTS LINK TOGETHER AND FORM A

STABLE BASE FOR THE REST OF THE COLONY TO REST

UPON.

DAVID: WHEN YOU FREEZE ANTS IN TIME AND THEN

EXAMINE THE RAFT, YOU FIND THERE ARE ACTUALLY VERY

FEW HOLES.

INSTEAD, EACH ANT IS CONNECTED TO,

ON AVERAGE, EIGHT OF ITS NEIGHBORS USING MANDIBLES

AND THE ENDS OF ITS LEGS, AND THIS MAKES FOR A VERY

STRONG, BUT DENSE NETWORK.

DYLAN: WHEN THREATENED WITH DROWNING,

THE FIRE ANT SUPER-ORGANISM

INSTINCTIVELY WEAVES ITSELF INTO A KIND OF

WATERPROOF FABRIC.

BY LINKING CLOSELY TOGETHER,

THE ANTS CREATE A ROUGH SURFACE THAT MAGNIFIES

THEIR WATER REPELLENCY.

THE RAFT IS FAR MORE BUOYANT THAN THE SUM OF

ITS LIVING PARTS.

DAVID: WHEN YOU PUSH DOWN ON THIS RAFT,

YOU SEE THAT IT ACTUALLY FLEXES AND STRETCHES LIKE

A FABRIC.

IF YOU PUSH FURTHER, TRYING TO SUBMERGE THE

RAFT, YOU FIND THAT THIS RAFT TURNS INTO A

WATERTIGHT BALL.

IN THE SUBMERGED SPHERE, THE SURFACE TENSION OF THE

WATER KEEPS THE WATER OUT AND THE ANTS INSIDE ALIVE.

THIS SURFACE TENSION CONTINUES TO KEEP THE

WATER OUT UP UNTIL ABOUT EIGHT INCHES OF DEPTH.

DYLAN: IN HUMAN TERMS, THAT'S NEARLY FOUR HUNDRED

FEET UNDERWATER.

COMING UP NEXT, THE FIRE ANT INVASION OF NORTH

AMERICA MARCHES ON, AND WE'LL UNCOVER JUST HOW

DEEP THE TAKEOVER GOES.

STAY TUNED.

"JOURNEY" WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: SWARM INTELLIGENCE IS USED BY CREATURES

THROUGHOUT THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

IT'S THE SAME PRINCIPLE THAT HELPS SCHOOLS OF FISH

AVOID A PREDATOR OR HELPS A LARGE FLOCK OF BIRDS FLY

AS ONE.

DAVID: WHEN YOU HANDLE ANTS,

THEY FEEL LIKE CHEWING GUM.

YOU CAN PULL THEM APART, STRETCH THEM,

AND WITH ENOUGH FORCE, YOU CAN BREAK THEM.

THE ANTS THEMSELVES HAVE A VERY HIGH STRENGTH.

SO, POTENTIALLY, THEY WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FORCE TO

BREAK OFF EACH OTHER'S LIMBS,

BUT THEY DON'T.

THE FIRE ANT SEEM TO KNOW THE PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS

OF THEIR BODIES.

THEY CAREFULLY MODULATE THE FORCE OF THEIR GRIP SO

THAT WHEN THERE ARE OUTSIDE FORCES,

SUCH AS WIND, GRAVITY, OR WAVES,

THEY RELEASE EACH OTHER BEFORE RIPPING OFF EACH

OTHER'S LEGS.

DYLAN: RESEARCHERS NOTICED OTHER PECULIAR BEHAVIORS.

THE SUPER-ORGANISM COULD ALSO ACT LIKE A LIQUID.

THE ANTS INSIDE THIS FUNNEL ARE BEING PULLED

DOWNWARD BY GRAVITY, BUT THEY DON'T FREEFALL LIKE

GRAINS OF SAND IN AN HOURGLASS.

THEIR CONTROLLED GRIP ON NEIGHBORS ALLOWS THE

COLONY TO FLOW LIKE A THICK FLUID,

GENTLY TOUCHING DOWN ON THE SURFACE BELOW.

EACH FIRE ANT IS HARDWIRED WITH SEEMINGLY SIMPLE

COMMANDS THAT ALLOW THE COLONY TO NAVIGATE COMPLEX

TERRAIN.

JUST AS A FLUID STICKS TO OBJECTS AT THE SURFACE AND

FLOWS ACROSS GAPS, THE FIRE ANT COLONY CONTROLS

ITS DESCENT.

WHEN CLUMPS OF ANTS FALL, THEY LAND LIKE STICKY

DROPS, DISPERSING THE ENERGY OF THE FALL,

BUT KEEPING THE COLONY TOGETHER.

THE FIRE ANTS' LEGENDARY STRENGTH IS IN ITS

NUMBERS, NUMBERS THAT ARE MAGNIFIED BY COLLECTIVE

BEHAVIOR.

OUT OF MANY, THE SUPER-ORGANISM IS BORN.

THE GLOBAL INVASION IS WELL UNDERWAY.

WE EVEN PROVIDE THE MACHINES AND A FREE TICKET

TO RIDE.

TRAVELING IN WOODEN PALLETS,

NURSERY STOCK, LUMBER, USED EARTH-MOVING

EQUIPMENT, NEARLY ANYTHING,

A SINGLE, NEWLY-MATED QUEEN CAN ESTABLISH A

BEACHHEAD IN BRAND-NEW TERRITORY.

FIRE ANTS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE CARIBBEAN,

NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, TAIWAN,

CHINA, MACAU, AT LEAST 11 COUNTRIES.

NO ONE KNOWS THE FULL POTENTIAL RANGE OF

INVICTA, BUT STUDIES OF CLIMATE AND WATER

AVAILABILITY INDICATE THAT AS MUCH AS 50 PERCENT OF

THE EARTH'S SURFACE IS HABITABLE BY THE ANTS.

STAY TUNED.

"JOURNEY" WILL BE RIGHT BACK.

ANNOUNCER: WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

ANNOUNCER: WE NOW RETURN TO THE MORE YOU KNOW ON NBC.

♪ MUSIC ♪

DYLAN: WELCOME BACK TO "JOURNEY".

I'M DYLAN DREYER.

FIRE ANTS HAVE MANY DIFFERENT SCIENTIFIC

NAMES.

ONE IS BORROWED FROM THE LATIN WORD "INVICTA",

WHICH MEANS "UNDEFEATED", AND WHILE ANT COLONIES ARE

NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTROL,

THAT HASN'T STOPPED PEOPLE FROM TRYING.

MAN: YOU MUST HEAR THE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS OF ALL

OF US, THE FARMERS, HOUSEWIVES,

SPORTSMAN, AND SCIENTISTS LIKE MYSELF.

WE'RE ALL DEEPLY CONCERNED WITH THE IMPORTED FIRE ANT

PROBLEM.

DYLAN: THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT WAGED TWO

ALL-OUT WARS ON THE FIRE ANT FROM 1957 TO 1975.

MORE THAN FOUR HUNDRED MILLION POUNDS OF POISON

BAIT WAS SPREAD OVER MILLIONS OF ACRES.

MAN: THERE WILL BE NO DAMAGE WHEN THE AIRPLANES

OR GROUND EQUIPMENT GO TO WORK,

NO DAMAGE, THAT IS, EXCEPT TO THE FIRE ANT.

DYLAN: BUT THE POISONS WERE INDISCRIMINATE,

KILLING HONEYBEES, BIRDS, CATTLE,

MARINE LIFE, FIRE ANTS, ALL ANTS.

BY THE TIME THE ERADICATION CAMPAIGNS

ENDED IN THE 1970'S, THE FIRE ANT HAD MORE THAN

DOUBLED ITS TERRITORY.

DR. SANFORD PORTER HAD LONG AGO SINCE DECIDED IT

WAS TIME TO LOOK FOR A NEW TOOL.

DR. PORTER: WHEN WE GO DOWN TO SOUTH AMERICA,

WHAT WE FIND IS THAT THE FIRE ANT POPULATIONS THERE

ARE ABOUT ONE-FIFTH TO ONE-TENTH OF WHAT THEY ARE

HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND WE THINK THAT THAT'S

BECAUSE OF ESCAPE FROM NATURAL ENEMIES.

SO, OUR GOAL IS TO BRING UP ENOUGH OF THE RIGHT

KIND OF NATURAL ENEMIES AND SAFE NATURAL ENEMIES

THAT WE CAN TILT THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE IN

FAVOR OF THE NATIVE ANTS HERE.

DYLAN: PORTER AND HIS COLLEAGUES IDENTIFIED FIVE

SPECIES OF FLIES SIMILAR TO FRUIT FLIES THAT PREY

ON THE FIRE ANT AND NOTHING ELSE.

DR. PORTER: THESE PHORID FLIES SPECIFICALLY ONLY

WILL ATTACK FIRE ANTS THAT COME FROM SOUTH AMERICA.

EVEN FIRE ANTS THAT ARE NATIVE HERE IN THE UNITED

STATES ARE NOT SUITABLE HOSTS FOR THE FLIES THAT

WE'RE BRINGING UP FROM SOUTH AMERICA.

DYLAN: AS IT SO OFTEN GOES,

HUMANS ARE LEARNING A THING OR TWO FROM MOTHER

NATURE.

HOPEFULLY, OUR NEW UNDERSTANDING OF NATURE'S

PEST CONTROL TACTICS WILL HELP US CONTROL THE FIRE

ANT INVASION.

WE STILL HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN ABOUT ANTS,

FROM THE SECRETS OF THEIR SWARM INTELLIGENCE TO THE

LASTING EFFECTS THEY'LL LEAVE ON OUR ENVIRONMENT.

ALTHOUGH OUR JOURNEY IS OVER,

THE JOURNEY TO UNDERSTAND THE AMAZING WORLD OF ANTS

IS JUST BEGINNING.

UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN, SAFE TRAVELS.

♪ CREDITS ♪