Naked Science Forum

General Discussion & Feedback => Radio Show & Podcast Feedback => Topic started by: Michael on 02/08/2010 11:30:02

Title: What base do spiders and ants count in?
Post by: Michael on 02/08/2010 11:30:02

Michael  asked the Naked Scientists:
   
The bit about spiders (and ants) being able to count (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/show/2010.07.25/) got me thinking.

You said that spiders let their silk be taken by air currents until it attaches somewhere, travel to the far end of the silk thread counting their steps, then return half way to drop a stringer down to the ground (or wherever) for a third point of support.

What you (conveniently?) neglected to address is:

What number base spiders count in (I'm guessing base 8).

To know when they'd back-tracked half way they'd have to do long division (or multiplication using fractions).

Care to address those "oversights"?
 
Terrific podcast. (http://www.thenakedscientists.com/HTML/podcasts/)

Michael 
San Diego, CA US

What do you think?