Giant Mutant Ant Colony Found in Australia

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1540&e=1&u=/afp/20040812/sc_afp/australia_animals_ants

It sounds cooler than it is, but it's still pretty cool.

― chrisco (chrisco), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Awww. No one cares.

― chrisco (chrisco), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I care!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd care more if the ants were giant, too.

― dean? (deangulberry), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:58 (twenty-one years ago)

62 miles across. holy shit.

― oops (Oops), Thursday, 12 August 2004 19:59 (twenty-one years ago)

That's good. Because I was one step away from turning it into a "post pictures of ants" thread. Until the first picture I found on Yahoo with Safesearch on was disturbingly off-topic.

xpost yeah i was hoping that too. But still, so many ants, with the added bonus of being mutant.

― chrisco (chrisco), Thursday, 12 August 2004 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

I for one welcome our new insect overlords.

― Layna Andersen (Layna Andersen), Thursday, 12 August 2004 20:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Wasn't there a Herzog film about this?

― sexyDancer, Thursday, 12 August 2004 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

Saul Bass film:
http://www.moviegoods.com/movie_item.asp?path=%2FAssets%2Fproduct%5Fimages%2F1020%2F&file=106980%2E1020%2EA%2Ejpg

― (Jon L), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Getting the Simpsons DVDs just to be able to post relevant pictures is so worth it right about now.

― Mr. Tony Plow (Leee), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

I think what's fascinating is that the reason the colony has gotten so large is thought to be due to a genetic mutation, a missing gene or something.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

They're missing the gene that makes them say, "Shit! This colony is getting too big!" or something like that.

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:15 (twenty-one years ago)

no, they're missing the gene that gets them all angry and violent when they encounter another colony. as a result, colonies start cooperating. now if only someone could identify that gene, find the human homologue and start gene therapy on a few people....

― willem (willem), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the fact that they are not hostile *to each other*. And yes, I too welcome our new insect overlords.

― DV (dirtyvicar), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Hahaha it's under Melbourne. Melbourne is going DOWN.

But never mind all that - who's the dishy scientist?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:23 (twenty-one years ago)

now i've got even more reason to kill ants.

i assume the scientist is elissa. elissa is a very scientisty sort of name.

― purple patch (electricsound), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Who plays her role in the movie Killer Ants Under Melbourne?

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:31 (twenty-one years ago)

"Monash University researcher Elissa Suhr holds up a phial of mutant Argentinian ants..."

― Mr. Tony Plow (Leee), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I think her role should be played by Winona Ryder.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

have you seen Phase IV, colin? I can not recommend that film highly enough.

my problem with most other ant-movies is that they resort to narratives that render the ants SuperHuge in order to portray them as terrifying; Phase IV succeeds where all other ant-movies have failed, simply by casting actual real-life ants: secretively meeting in anthill hallways, pausing to reflect at crucial moments in their conversation, mourning and burying their dead, whispering into the ears of helpless victims before crawling all over them.

― (Jon L), Thursday, 12 August 2004 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

All the ants are under the outer 'burbs, so its all good innit.

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 12 August 2004 22:05 (twenty-one years ago)

You can barricade yourselves into the CDB while Elissa prepares a poison in the bunkers of Monash University.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 12 August 2004 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Taco Bill will provide you with enough sustenance/fertilizer for the future.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

We dont have Taco Bill here. Its Taco Bell! (and probably even worse, heh)

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Bah! Some precious map of your CBD boldly identified a 'Taco Bill' when I was there. I marvelled!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

er, you mean the other way round trayce.

― purple patch (electricsound), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

bell = US, bill = aussie

― purple patch (electricsound), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm sure the koala meat will be fresh.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 12 August 2004 23:09 (twenty-one years ago)

IS THERE ANY LIMIT TO HOW LARGE IT CAN GROW?

― Rockist_Scientist (rockist_scientist), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:05 (twenty-one years ago)

we could introduce one section of the ants to hip hop and dance and the other section to indie rock and watch them kill each other like the mods and rockers of yore

― purple patch (electricsound), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Whoops Jim youre right! God what planet am I on today? Yes, Ned, it is Taco Bill. I'm going mad today.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:11 (twenty-one years ago)

It's Taco Bell in Sydney!

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyway, who really cares? We'll all be working on an ant farm soon.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:23 (twenty-one years ago)

An ALIEN ant farm, heres hoping!

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.beckerfilms.com/them.gif

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:49 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.whalefish.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/monster%20pics/them.gif

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Friday, 13 August 2004 00:50 (twenty-one years ago)

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