Author Topic: zombie ants! nature is the coolest  (Read 7151 times)

Offline lokiwizz

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zombie ants! nature is the coolest
« on: January 06, 2014, 04:15:53 PM »
Have a look at this newly found fungi that infects insects brain and takes over
What you think about that? http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiocordyceps_unilateralis

Offline Numsgil

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Re: zombie ants! nature is the coolest
« Reply #1 on: January 06, 2014, 04:18:05 PM »
As far as I know it isn't newly discovered.  Or at least, ant-fungus parasites that mess with the ants' brain have been known for a while.  They're the inspiration for the zombies in the game Last of Us (cordyceps), for instance.

Offline lokiwizz

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Re: zombie ants! nature is the coolest
« Reply #2 on: January 06, 2014, 09:08:34 PM »
well it may not be new but i just read about it the other day as read here http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/09/absurd-creature-of-the-week-zombie-ant-fungus/  :blink:
still amazing that a fungus can do that  :wacko:
anyone try to impalement this in db?

Offline Botsareus

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Re: zombie ants! nature is the coolest
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2014, 11:02:00 AM »
In darwinbots we model single celled organisms mostly. And the multi-celled that we do model are too simple to have a brain area.
I have not read the article, however the behavior closest to what you are describing can be reached by created a virus gene that deletes all other genes in the dna except for itself. You will need to study how single gene robots work.

Offline lokiwizz

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Re: zombie ants! nature is the coolest
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2014, 07:13:57 AM »
That's what tought would need to be done, new to db.
Was just wondering if any other bots had behavior close to this
So that I could study the DNA code. Looks like viral bots are what I'm after.
Also how single gene works. db is a cool program only wish I had found it
Sooner.

Offline Peter

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Re: zombie ants! nature is the coolest
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2014, 01:27:17 PM »
A normal (real live) virus inserts it's genome into a cell. That takes over the cell. Most viruses let the cell produce more viruses till the cell bursts open with viruses that can then go to other cells. It's also possible that the virus just takes control and do what they like with the cell. (but I don't know any real live examples that do this.)

That's also possible in DB. The only issue is that you can only send one gene with a virus shot at a time, so there's a need for a single gene bot.

There's a bit about doing this on the wiki.
http://wiki.darwinbots.com/w/Virus
« Last Edit: January 08, 2014, 01:32:07 PM by Peter »
Oh my god, who the hell cares.

Offline spork22

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Re: zombie ants! nature is the coolest
« Reply #6 on: May 23, 2014, 06:23:22 PM »
Well, this evolved bot that came from the Shell Maker bot uses a virus to turn whatever tries to eat it against it's buddies. It's not like a fungus at all, but it has the same effect.

http://forum.darwinbots.com/index.php/topic,6380.0.html

I'm actually interested in how it's doing that.
« Last Edit: May 23, 2014, 06:25:12 PM by spork22 »
Hubba Jubba Lollywash!