IELTS雅思阅读真题教学讲义.doc

1
蚂蚁智力Collectiveintelligence:：Antsandbrain'sneuronsSTANFORD-Anindividualantisnotverybright,butantsinacolony,operatingasacollective,doremarkablethings.Asingleneuroninthehumanbraincanrespondonlytowhattheneuronsconnectedtoitaredoing,butallofthemtogethercanbeImmanuelKant.ThatresemblanceiswhyDeborahM.Gordon,StanfordUniversityassistantprofessorofbiologicalsciences,studiesants."I'minterestedinthekindofsystemwheresimpleunitstogetherdobehaveincomplicatedways,"shesaid.Noonegivesordersinanantcolony,yeteachantdecideswhattodonext.Forinstance,anantmayhaveseveraljobdescriptions.Whenthecolonydiscoversanewsourceoffood,anantdoinghousekeepingdutymaysuddenlybecomeaforager.Orifthecolony'sterritorysizeexpandsorcontracts,patrollerantschangetheshapeoftheirreconnaissancepatterntoconformtothenewrealities.Sincenooneisinchargeofanantcolony-includingthemisnamed"queen,"whichissimplyabreeder-howdoeseachantdecidewhattodo?Thiskindofundirectedbehaviorisnotuniquetoants,Gordonsaid.Howdobirdsflyinginaflockknowwhentomakeacollectiverightturn?Allanchoviesandotherschoolingfishseemtoturninunison,yetnoonefishistheleader.GordonstudiesharvesterantsinArizonaand,bothinthefieldandinherlab,theso-calledArgentineantsthatareubiquitoustocoastalCalifornia.ArgentineantscametoLouisianainasugarshipmentin1908.TheyweredrivenoutoftheGulfstatesbythefireantandinvadedCalifornia,wheretheyhavedisplacedmostofthenativeantspecies.OneofthethingsGordonisstudyingishowtheydidso.NoonehaseverseenanantwarinvolvingtheArgentinespeciesandthenativespecies,soit'snotclearwhethertheyarequietlyaggressiveorjustfindwaysoftakingoverfoodresourcesandterritory.TheArgentineantsinherlabalsoarebeingstudiedtohelpherunderstandhowtheychangebehaviorasthesizeofthespacetheyareexploringvaries.
"Theantsaregoodatfindingnewplacestoliveinandgoodatfindingfood,"Gordonsaid."We'reinterestedinfindingouthowtheydoit."HerantsareconfinedbyPlexiglaswallsandanastyglue-likesubstancealongthetopsoftheboardsthatkeepstheantsinside.Shemovesthewallsinandouttochangethearenaandvideotap