Libsyn Directory

The Hidden Lives of Ants with Susanne Foitzik

AMSEcast

Release Date: 12/18/2024

AMSE Science Report with Simon Cordrey

AMSEcast

Author Simon Cordrey discusses the early days of the railroad and how that changed America.

AMSE Science Report with Jay Feldman

AMSEcast

Author Jay Feldman and Alan Lowe, Director of the AMSE Foundation discuss his book, When the Mississippi Ran Backwards.

Planetary Defense 101 with Dr. Robin Andrews

AMSEcast

Alan Lowe is joined in this episode of AMSEcast by Dr. Robin Andrews, volcanologist, science journalist, and author of How to Kill an Asteroid. Dr. Andrews explores how modern planetary defense blends cutting-edge detection networks, such as NASA’s NEO Surveyor, with active deflection efforts like the DART mission, which successfully shifted an asteroid’s orbit. He also delves into theoretical approaches, including gravity tractors and even nuclear options as last-resort strategies. While comets remain a tougher, faster-moving threat, advances in technology continue to make catastrophic...

AMSE Science Report with Author Michele Gelfand

AMSEcast

Michele J. Gelfand is the John H. Scully Professor of Cross-Cultural Management Professor of Organizational Behavior and Psychology at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Her book, RULE MAKERS, RULE BREAKERS: How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World takes readers on a journey through a variety of human cultures, exploring unique a multi-faceted glimpse into the world around us and ourselves.

Invention and Exploration at the Smithsonian Institution

AMSEcast

Host Alan Lowe continues AMSEcast’s exploration of 250 years of American innovation with Smithsonian experts Harold Wallace Jr., Dr. Eric Hintz, and Tim Pula. Together, they trace invention from Benjamin Franklin’s experiments to modern breakthroughs, highlighting the Smithsonian’s exhibitions, collections, and hands-on learning at Spark!Lab. The discussion spans collaboration with the Library of Congress, the role of failure in creativity, and how patents shape (but don’t define) innovation. The guests also reflect on nuclear technology’s history and social impact, and share how...

Exploring the Human Microbiome with Dr. Bob Hettich

AMSEcast

Dr. Robert Hettich is a pioneer in bioanalytical mass spectrometry. In this episode of AMSEcast, he describes how microbiomes form, vary across the body, and influence digestion, immunity, and overall health. Dr. Hettich also explains metaproteomics, the study of microbial proteins, to reveal how microbes function beyond their genes as well as their applications from human health to environmental cleanup and bioenergy. Inspired by his daughter’s experience with Crohn’s, Robert Hettich is especially focused on microbiomes’ links to inflammatory and neurological diseases, including...

One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science author on AMSE Science Report

AMSEcast

Dr. Colwell shares her insight on the progression of women in science through the years. Framed by her own experiences we learn about her incredible work.

The History of the American Railroad with Albert Churella

AMSEcast

Railroads have shaped America’s growth, technology, and daily life for nearly two centuries. In this episode of AMSEcast, Alan talks with Dr. Albert Churella of Kennesaw State University about how innovations such as the automatic knuckle coupler, Westinghouse’s air brake, and the move from steam to diesel transformed safety and efficiency. Dr. Churella explains how signaling, centralized traffic control, and GPS-based Positive Train Control modernized operations. While U.S. passenger service lags Europe, its freight rail system leads the world in ton-miles, fuel efficiency, and low...

AMSE Science Report with Marc Wortman

AMSEcast

AMSE Science Report with Richard Ellis

AMSEcast

Author Richard Ellis speaks about his latest book The Quest for the Cosmic Dawn. A breakdown of the earliest moments of our celestial cosmic soup.

More Episodes

Alan, an ant enthusiast since childhood, is joined by Susanne Foitzik, author of Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors. She explains that while queens start colonies and lay eggs, they don’t control the colony. Worker ants take on specialized roles like brood care and foraging, with older ants handling riskier tasks. Ants communicate through pheromones and use impressive navigation skills. Some species, like the Argentine and fire ants, thrive in new environments due to human transport, forming super colonies. Susanne’s current research focuses on how ants regulate labor division and how parasites impact their behavior and longevity.

Guest Bio

Dr. Susanne Foitzik is a professor of evolutionary biology, Vice Dean of the biology faculty, and Acting Director of the Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolutionary Biology at Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. She has held academic positions at Ludwig Maximilian University, the University of Regensburg, and as a postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University. With a doctoral degree in biology and a habilitation in zoology, Susanne is widely published and the author of Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors, a captivating exploration of ant behavior and ecology.

Show Notes

(2:12) How many species of ants there are
(3:46) The role of ant queens and how they’re made
(5:55) The different functions ants take on in the colony
(9:01) How nests are created
(11:02) How ants communicate and navigate
(16:01) How certain ants have developed the ability to maintain livestock and how they do it
(19:01) Ants’ more aggressive behaviors
(22:34) What turns ants into “zombies”
(25:34) The social immune system of ants
(28:42) Invasive species of ants
(32:39) Understanding ant-tink
(34:31) What Susanne is working on now

Links Referenced

Empire of Ants: The Hidden Worlds and Extraordinary Lives of Earth’s Tiny Conquerors: https://www.amazon.com/Superpowers-Six-Legs-Hidden-Lives/dp/1615197125

TOPICS