Be Smart
The Intelligence Test Where Ants Beat Humans
2026 • E2 Feb 5, 2026 16m
Ant bridges, bee hives, bird flocks, fish schools and more all demonstrate how intelligent behavior can emerge from pretty stupid animals, and how that strange intelligence can solve seemingly impossible tasks with no individual directing the group. Let’s trace the history of swarm intelligence research, from Aristotle to modern computer modeling, to find out where ants and other collective animals really keep their intelligence.