Deborah Gordon on Ant Colonies as Distributed Computers

Explore the fascinating world of ant colonies as distributed computers in this thought-provoking 54-minute talk by Deborah Gordon at the Santa Fe Institute. Discover how ant colonies dynamically allocate tasks and adapt to changing environments, challenging the notion of rigid castes. Learn about the algorithms ants use to navigate environmental change and their potential applications in technology, investment strategies, and exploration. Gain insights into how ant behavior can inform our understanding of institutional aging, cancer treatment, internet resilience, and the concept of individuality. Delve into topics such as division of labor, modularity, explore-exploit tension, and evolutionary transitions. Uncover the parallels between ant colonies and complex systems, offering valuable lessons for thriving in uncertain and turbulent times.

Introduction
Deborahs background
Division of Labor
Ants and Identity
Modularity
Explore exploit tension
Low operating costs
Cancer
Application
Evolutionary transition
Ecological constraints