At the Department of Collective Behaviour, part of the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, researchers are putting locusts into simulated worlds, both virtual and physical, in the hope that they can figure out how devastating swarms form and move. ■ About the Centre: https://www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/collective-behaviour/ https://www.ab.mpg.de/couzin Edited by Michelle Martin https://twitter.com/mrsmmartin Thanks to David Walter for the suggestion This is the most uncomfortable I've ever felt while filming, for a few reasons. First, of course, because of the locust swarm itself. Second, because animal research — even on creatures as simple and pestilent as locusts — always raises ethical questions. Now, the researchers are careful with the locusts, and I don't think many people could have a problem with this. Indeed, most of the world currently has zero ethical restrictions on insect experimentation — but it's still worth interrogating whether this is okay. And finally: because if we can do this so easily to less intelligent creatures... what's to stop something more intelligent coming along and doing the same to us? 🟥 MORE FROM TOM: https://www.tomscott.com/ (you can find contact details and social links there too) 📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: https://www.tomscott.com/newsletter/ ❓ LATERAL, free weekly podcast: https://lateralcast.com/ null ➕ TOM SCOTT PLUS: null 👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: null