Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ofer Feinerman (Weizmann Institute of Science)
https://simons.berkeley.edu/talks/ofer-feinerman-weizmann-institute-science-2026-06-10
Topics in Intelligence: World Models and Social Reasoning
Weaver ants build closed nests by collectively bending and stitching leaves using their own bodies as tools. Using controlled laboratory experiments, we show that in simple configurations the entire construction process can be quantitatively captured by a local rule—the “zipping” heuristic—which reliably produces closed, rigid nests. We then challenge the colony with construction puzzles and find that it can still converge to viable solutions even when this heuristic predicts failure. These results suggest that information processing emerges from the coupled dynamics of ants and leaves, rather than from individual cognition. This system provides a tractable model for studying the mechanisms and limits of collective cognition.
Ofer Feinerman (Weizmann Institute of Science)
https://simons.berkeley.edu/talks/ofer-feinerman-weizmann-institute-science-2026-06-10
Topics in Intelligence: World Models and Social Reasoning
Weaver ants build closed nests by collectively bending and stitching leaves using their own bodies as tools. Using controlled laboratory experiments, we show that in simple configurations the entire construction process can be quantitatively captured by a local rule—the “zipping” heuristic—which reliably produces closed, rigid nests. We then challenge the colony with construction puzzles and find that it can still converge to viable solutions even when this heuristic predicts failure. These results suggest that information processing emerges from the coupled dynamics of ants and leaves, rather than from individual cognition. This system provides a tractable model for studying the mechanisms and limits of collective cognition.
