Harvard Ant Project

The Harvard Ant Project was a scientific study conducted in the 1970s that aimed to understand how ant colonies organize and make collective decisions. Researchers observed ants’ behaviors and communication methods, such as scent trails and recruitment, to learn how they efficiently find food and adapt to changes. The project helped illuminate principles of decentralized decision-making and cooperation, providing insights relevant to fields like robotics, computer algorithms, and organizational behavior. Overall, it demonstrated how simple individual actions can lead to complex, coordinated group activities without central control.