Page 1 of 1 [ 3 posts ] 

slowmutant
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 13 Feb 2008
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 8,430
Location: Ontario, Canada

30 Apr 2008, 1:30 pm

yet others do. Why is that, I wonder? Watching an ant bustle along, you'll observe his constant course-corrections, yet for no apparent reason. A mouse tends to scamper in a straight line when he's moving quickly. Larger bioforms like cats, dogs, and horses don't meander like ants. And if they do it means they've got an inner-ear problem or rabies. The larger the creature, I think, the less complex its locomotion.



Shayne
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 11 Apr 2007
Gender: Male
Posts: 419
Location: South Florida, USA Age: 24

30 Apr 2008, 1:42 pm

ants follow chemical trails left by other ants that are searching about for goodies or whatso.

they arent really thinking about going straight.

and the ant before them isnt going back to make sure their trail is as efficient as possible.


_________________
Come play Scrabble .
Message me on WP . We will play.


LabPet
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 4 Jan 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,389
Location: Canada

13 May 2008, 2:52 am

I think you mean Brownian movement. In theory, they're supposed to, depending on the animal. Like Shayne said, about ants, it's a chemical trail. Look thought at 'flyers' and 'gliders' (like flying squirrels, even snakes); they have a trajectory, like automatic trigonometry and they account for this in their travel.

Plus, there's the topography - the key! What is straight is the surface is not? Changes the whole dynamics.


_________________
The ones who say “You can’t” and “You won’t” are probably the ones scared that you will. - Unknown