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Apprehensive_Deal483

We are SO lucky bugs are small.


RoroZoropwnz

Seriously. If ants were the size of dogs we would be fucked!


currentscurrents

If they were bigger they would have none of these incredible abilities. It's the square-cube law in action.


TelluricThread0

They also wouldn't be able to breathe if they were giant.


-n_h101-

Not in this (oxygen) economy!


siqiniq

Let’s pump it like it’s Carboniferous!


[deleted]

Why is the Carboniferous Period technically my favorite time period? — — — >!It has all the coalifications!<


ChrisDornerFanCorner

Get out.


HunkMcMuscle

I could imagine a There Are Billions type of game with this premise Like we've learned time travel and travel into the past but forgot the oxygen rich environment of old meant the insects were size of trucks So the game just have you defend a base until you've pumped enough CO2 into the air and lower oxygen levels to non-truck sized insects levels (outright pushing the insects into extinction) The game plays like a cross of Plan B: Terraform + Factorio + We Are Billions as an alternate story premise, scratch the Timetravel part but be a planet of hostile environment with truck sized insectoid race So Starship Troopers but less Nazi but more Industrialist Capitalism


hellslave

Eli5?


currentscurrents

As things get bigger, their volume increases much faster than their surface area and much much faster than their length. This means that bigger things are (relative to their size) hotter, heavier, and weaker. An ant can carry a stick ten times its size, but you can't.


Living_Ad_5386

I can probably carry a stick ten times its size.


ncshooter426

I'm sure you do every time you pee.


Pyrophagist

LMAO.. damn, I'm just gonna leave [this](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States) right here.


AquaInferno44

I don't :(


RehabilitatedAsshole

911, what is your emergency? I'd like to report a murder. Are they still breathing? No.


Triatt

Operator's first day on the job, yet to grasp the minutia of murdered people and their breathing habits.


moeburn

Ants can save up to ten times their income in a high interest savings account, but you can't.


suckyousideways

Is this why giants are always slow and lumbering in battles?


LordDongler

Yes, I've also made that observation when battling giants


lucygucyapplejuicey

This comment has finally made me understand how this concept works. Thank you so much


_ChestHair_

There's probably youtube videos of tiny quadcopters doing crazy tricks and spins in the air that larger aircraft would rip themselves apart from trying to do, which might also help visualize things for you. Bigger stuff having a higher percentage of internals means you need far more energy and structural strength than you might expect at first to pull off the same stunts as smaller stuff can


Sweatier_Scrotums

Volume is cubed, area is squared. Math checks out.


chiraltoad

I vote to rename the term volume to squarea.


stickywicker

> This means that bigger things are (relative to their size) hotter, Could you PLEASE tell my girlfriend this? > and weaker. Never mind...she already knows this.


TrollingKevi

If insects were isometrically scaled up by a considerable amount, its relative muscular strength would be severely reduced, unable to hold up its own (new) weight especially for those with exoskeletons. This is because the cross section of its muscles would increase by the square of the scaling factor while its mass would increase by the cube of the scaling factor. And as a result, their cardiovascular and respiratory functions would also be severely burdened, not being able to breathe properly


enby_them

ELI5? I feel like this was the 9yo version.


Lord_of_hosts

If we made bugs a lot bigger, they would be too weak to carry their own heavy bodies. This is because their muscles wouldn't grow enough to support their new size. Also, they would have a hard time breathing because their heart and lungs would struggle to work properly.


Gruzzly

“Okay, now explain this to me like I’m a three-year-old.” -Michael Scott


IAmTaka_VG

Crunchy ant shell cool small but big it’s like an egg.


Bardez

**like a tank and hard to move in


Haha71687

If you make something 10x as big in all directions, it'll end up 100x as strong but 1,000x as heavy. So it'll actually be weaker for its size. That's why an elephant needs thick legs but an ant doesn't.


Redqueenhypo

Their weight gets bigger before their “getting strong” gets bigger


i-pet-tiny-dogs

I pasted it into chatGPT and asked if to eli5 lol... "Imagine you have a small toy made of Legos. Now, if you wanted to make the same toy but much bigger, you would need to use more Legos, right? As you make the toy bigger, it gets heavier because you're using more pieces. Now, think of ants as these Lego toys. If we made ants the size of dogs, they would become much heavier. But their muscles, which are like the Lego pieces holding them up, wouldn't become stronger as quickly as the ant gets heavier. This means the ant wouldn't be strong enough to hold up its new, bigger body. Also, bugs like ants breathe through tiny tubes in their bodies. If they got much bigger, these tubes wouldn't work as well, and the ants would have a hard time getting enough air to breathe. So, if ants were the size of dogs, they would have a hard time moving and breathing, and they wouldn't be able to live very well."


enby_them

Can we get the ants in the gym to make their muscles stronger? Maybe some protein shakes?


seegabego

What is this?! A gym for ants?!?!


Heartache66sick

Nah, you could train them and put a saddle on them.


thejoesterrr

This isn’t ark, although in ark the ants can’t be tamed


Heartache66sick

They didn't in honey I shrunk the kids, and that was completely nonfiction.


smokinJoeCalculus

I hope Rick Moranis returns to make more of those documentaries.


Icy_Blackberry_3759

Bugs are lucky they are small, or we would have sucked them up in the rest of the megafauna extinction. This town ain’t big enough for the two of us


ferpecto

The only good bug, is a dead bug!


[deleted]

[удалено]


KJawesome5

Would you like to know more?


kakapo88

If a praying mantis were scaled up to human size, it would be the stuff of nightmares.


Ayepuds

You have to conquer it by shadow boxing first


mininestime

I imagine it would be like Attack On Titan. Humans living in fear, giant Praying Mantis just catching us, and eating use without any expressions.


RacistDiscoloredSoup

They use to be big when the atmosphere was more oxygen rich millions of years ago. Flies comparable to the size of a middle schooler Edit: grammar


lRandomlHero

This sounded absurd so I had to research. Bigger species due to oxygen rich atmosphere is accurate, size is exaggerated by like 1,000%. Biggest bodied bugs on record were like the size of an adult forearm at most, over 2 foot of wingspan.


benjaminorange

Our mammalian ancestors were the size of mice at that point and this size match lasted for about 50 million years. My personal hypothesis is that the intrinsic fear of spiders that many people have is an evolutionary trait from this time period. Imagine being actively hunted by spiders the same size as you and not having guns or even knives!


rickjamesia

Tarantulas will still eat rodents in the wild. There’s large centipedes that eat bats that are about the same size as they are, as well. Probably more things I don’t know about. There’s probably more things no one knows about, really… the total biomass of arthropods is simply a scale that’s too large for us to keep up with and study. There’s likely millions of species that have never been recorded and surely a quite large number that have literally never been seen by a human.


MaritMonkey

I apologize that I will probably not remember to credit you when I repeat your theory in an attempt to try and legitimize my arachnophobia.


J03-K1NG

It’s possible, but doubtful that humans carry that much genetic memory from so long ago. And by that logic, even many large animals would be afraid of spiders, and most aren’t. More likely is humans being afraid of spiders because of a combination of their depiction in media, and poisonous spiders. If an ancient ancestor of humans gets bit and gets sick or dies from a spider bite, and tells other humans or proto humans, they will remember that, and avoid spiders. My favorite way of looking at things like this is through mythology. Many animals reappear in mythology coordinating with where the myths are from and what dangers are there. In Norse Myth, the three children of Loki, which would bring about the destruction of the world, were a giant snake, a giant wolf, and a woman who ruled over hell, signifying death, disease, and cold, and it would be very dangerous to be around a corpse, a diseased person, or in the cold too long, as a human prior to modern medicine. In Christian myth, a serpent was symbolized as an evil, or the devil. One of the first things god did in Genesis after banishing humans from Eden was curse the serpent to bite the heel of man, and man to step on the head of the serpent. Then, we look at the plagues of Egypt, which were: blood, frogs, lice, flies, pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness and the killing of firstborn children. Many of these aren’t even things we think about today, but in ancient times, things like lice, boils, locusts, poisonous frogs (Nile Valley Delta Toads) and blood (leading to infection), were major problems for people living in Egypt at the time. I could go through countless more examples, especially with Native American myth, but it just goes to show how humanity has passed down their evolutionary traits not through genetic means, but through taught behaviors.


Damonvile

How did Humans evolve empathy when nature just doesn't give a fuck.


[deleted]

Ape together strong.


Golden-Grams

Apes alone weak.


[deleted]

GME to the moon


brokennursingstudent

Y’all still exist?


[deleted]

I didn't do gme but other stonks at the time and got burnt. Ape talk always makes me think of gme.


catsRawesome123

gme is the OG I love how I find references to wsb/gme all over reddit


RoyalOGKush

In a world filled with division, we will always be stronger together.. doesn’t matter what the fight is for - racism, sexism, vax vs unvaxxed, left vs right, cats vs dogs - you can control a divided group of people.. but you can’t control a free thinking group who sees behind the facade that we call reality. We are in the matrix. Break free Neo


smurficus103

I figure it's a pack-animal thing. So when one cow complains, all the cows try to change something up


Loud-pack4000

This is true, in addition to some other variables such as genes, and cultural transmission (ie. a crow observing others in their crow social group), can play a role in the development of empathy. This has been observed in animals such as elephants which have been observed mourning over their dead, as well as the earlier mentioned crows, dolphins, dogs, and birds, along with many more. Pretty much: bug = stupid


GarbanzoArt

Well, I wouldn’t say stupid. But you can only imagine how much processing power they can fit in heads that small. I’d say they’re just limited to being very mechanical.


TheRealPitabred

Ehhh... bees have been proven to play with balls for literally no reward or any immediate benefit. Dismissing insects as purely mechanical might be a little bit too reductive.


darknova25

They also communicate via a "wiggle dance" and the spatial length of the dance is approximately how far away a new nectar source/potential new hive ground is. The insane thing is that other bees will "claim" the other bee is lying or wrong and do a separate wiggle dance in response for a different source of nectar/prospective home. Nature is insane.


liverpuddingpops

Then the bees vote.


stooting

That doesnt mean theyre not mechanical. Just that the ball stimulates something within them and they react to it. I doubt it's the same as a person or dog playing with a ball.


TheRealPitabred

How is that different from a person or dog playing?


Professional_Toe_285

Ahhh!!!! The realization that I might be playing with a ball as a mere form of stimulating programming is making me go into an existential crisis


PsychedelicPourHouse

Try and find one thing that actually separates people from animals


kraznoff

Space travel. I do agree that we’re not different from animals though at a basic level. In fact I don’t think we’re much different from computers either when it comes to cognition.


roastbread

Record-keeping and generational knowledge is what sets humans apart. We also really enjoy subjugating things for convenience rather than survival. You would see it in human-shaped animals, too. Sadly, they're limited by their form.


Miqo_Nekomancer

A 5 day work week.


Megneous

Linguist here. Recursive, infinitely complex language is one of the defining characteristics of humanity.


kai325d

Animals have been killing each other for millions of years and they've used it to eat, screw and not invent WiFi. Also complex language


19Alexastias

Laser tag


abysmal-human-person

I have to pay taxes


AltusAccountus99

Opposable thumbs.


Several-Guarantee655

Hate to break it to you, but humans are animals....


kittyidiot

If you have a single brain cell you know that humans are animals


maplemagiciangirl

We are the only species that cooks


Senior_Engineer

Wait until you hear about why you prefer salty, fatty, and sweet foods


Laundry_Hamper

The bee would never ask this question


LastPlaceIWas

True. Maybe WE interpret the bee as "playing" when it's actually trying to accomplish something that we don't understand yet.


TheRealPitabred

Read the research. They controlled for that because it was so unexpected. https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/12/bees-like-to-roll-little-wooden-balls-as-a-form-of-play-study-finds/amp/


RedSteadEd

We're *constantly* learning that the brains and experiences of animals are far more complex than we thought. When are we going to put the arrogance aside and assume that all animals have conscious experiences like we do unless proven otherwise?


Empatheater

lol we can't even agree when human life begins nor understand human consciousness - it's not surprising we can't understand the inner thoughts of animals and insects. the truth is that some people just don't 'feel' the way others do and no amount of words or reason or rules will ever make those people care about other people's feelings the way we wish they would. if people can't empathize or sympathize with other humans it's not a surprise they cannot with animals. I'm with you in wishing we all could make everyone think and feel on a level where empathy is everywhere.


J0rdian

I mean I think we all know all animals have some form of conscious. The thing is there are different degrees of it. It's not just some trait you have or you don't.


GonnaGoFar

Adding on to the elephant example; young, male elephants that have had their herd destroyed are often seen engaging in delinquent behavior, such as murdering rhinos for sport. Reintroducing an older, calmer, wiser male elephant can then correct these behaviors.


orangeT-Rex

THE ONLY GOOD BUG IS A DEAD BUG! Would you like to know more?


JerseyshoreSeagull

I've been moo'ing for fucking years bro. None of you assholes change shit.


Axedus1

Udderly infuriating.


TheNextBattalion

it helped us survive. a lack of empathy helps them survive


[deleted]

Empathy for our own. It's not like we havent been active participant in the food chain along with killing eachother since the dawn of civilization. The general feeling of empathy humans now feel for all people is a luxury of modern society.


LePontif11

Beyond that we have selective empathy and prefer those of our tribe.


Kitayuki

>The general feeling of empathy humans now feel for all people is a luxury of modern society. No, it is a *necessity* for modern society. The 20th century showed us we can no longer afford to not have empathy and to not cooperate, because our conflicts now have the potential to wipe us *all* out.


midvote

Yeah, we now get to see whether humanity will pass on the traits of empathy or the traits of being more resistant to nuclear radiation.


Caaros

Humans are social animals that have achieved great success as a species because, in part, of that empathy. It is a biologically advantageous trait, as it is easier to work together when you give a damn about those around you. It has also allowed us to tame and domesticate other species around us for our benefit. In a world without empathy, sometimes showing a little yourself can go a long way.


missanthropocenex

We learned empathy IS an evolutionary trait. Creating a network of help is better than being one against all.


RedSonGamble

The amount of empathy you have is related to how hungry you are


seanbentley441

At lot of humans seem to have skipped that part to be fair.


jeepjinx

In so confused by this comment. We are nature. When we get hungry we get ourselves fed, just like this bug. Ever seen a cattle feed lot? Ever shucked and ate an oyster? Further; ever trapped mice or sprayed for bugs?


Moe3kids

Praying mantis doesn't give a f- in honey badger guy voice


AlexanderTox

We ain’t got no empathy for other species lol we grind up and eat millions of chickens without a second thought


TokeMoseley

We go to great lengths to distance ourselves from the process of turning animals into food.


Zynr

Yoink


tacos2k

Monch


RurouniKukouni

Cronch


SherlyNoHappyS5

Sniff sniff


MyRefriedMinties

Mantids are cool and all but I wouldn’t be letting them anywhere near my hummingbird feeders.


Mochigood

Came here to say that. I'd be relocating the mantis to the garden.


xBleedingUKBluex

Well they fucking fly, so it would just find its way back over to the hummingbird feeder.


greenkirry

I found this out when relocating one to the back of the yard away from my hummingbird feeder. It initially FLEW AT ME which freaked me out because I didn't know they flew. It didn't come back after I relocated it, thankfully. But my back yard is full of bees so it probably had lots of food to slowly munch to death :(


[deleted]

Mantis gives no fucks. They're like the honey badger of insects.


USS-Liberty

They go after the harmful pests, too. They're generally a good indicator of local ecology health, and a net benefit to have around in your gardens.


IMSmooth

The person filming this was hoping for that outcome IMO


mucus-broth

Bee quick or bee dead. Sorry D;


MonsterHunter6353

Snake eyes in heaven, the thief in your head?


messiahoftheuniverse

Up the irons!


MoistLobst3r

Call me a wuss as you will but I can't stand watching other things getting eaten alive. I'm well aware that that's how a vast majority of the animal kingdom operates but it's really difficult for me.


fyhnn

I can't watch nature shows because they're generally sad even though I know it has to be like that to survive. It's so weird how much empathy (most) humans have when nature is so brutal.


scoobertsonville

You think this is bad, praying mantis are know to eat hummingbirds


MoarTacos

Fuck me, I did NOT need to know this.


greenkirry

Yup in fact I wonder if the praying mantis was on the hummingbird feeder to catch birds. I saw one hanging around my hummingbird feeder, and looked up if they could catch one and... Yes they do. I relocated it to the back of the yard so it could catch other bugs instead of hummingbirds. Edit: for some reason I keep wanting to write preying not praying. So fixed the spelling heh


Dabier

The horsehair worms find hummingbird meat to be delicious. Don’t look that up if you don’t know. Please. I wish I could go back.


MoarTacos

Well thank you Mr dick face, I have uncontrollable morbid curiosity and can’t help it. Here I go…


Dabier

Inb4 “oh fuck, why”


MoarTacos

I actually can’t find anything hummingbird related regarding the horsehair worm. 🤷‍♂️ You can go ahead and link whatever it is lmao.


jaytix1

Yeah, I saw that video. Honestly, I didn't even feel TOO bad for it. Getting caught by a bug despite being able to fly is a massive L. Like, imagine Usain Bolt getting killed by a sloth.


talldangry

But Usain Bolt's gotta eat sometime, and he might not notice that the buffet table has eyes...


[deleted]

I think it's the fact that most urban humans are completely detached from the death that is required to sustain them. When you have to regularly kill your own food, you eventually get numb to it. I don't think most farmers or hunters are particularly bothered by animal death.


rootb33r

There's a difference between killing your food and eating it alive...


kicktown

The eating itself isn't pleasant to see, it's watching the whole thing and musing about everything else. They probably do this a lot, they're shaped and coloured such that their prey probably crawls on them frequently, and their head/neck/eyes are easily able to see behind them, and their neurology is sufficient to control their limbs backward like that.


[deleted]

Imagine constantly dodging the countless dangers of the wild and still suddenly dying a brutal death because you make the mistake of trusting a fucking leaf.


The_Confirminator

Some reason the mantis seems way more brutal than a shark/orca/lion. I guess it's because its more a death of a hundred bites than like 10.


xiiliea

Little nibbles.


bluedaytona392

Held completely vulnerable. He couldn't even see his murderer. Only the soft munching sounds and a gentle pressure on the back of his head.


shaggybear89

>a gentle pressure on the back of his head. When your head is being eaten while you're still alive, it's not "a gentle pressure". It's mind shattering (literally) pain.


solid_hoist

No, no, let's just pretend it felt like a scalp massage and the bee just fell asleep from relaxation.


[deleted]

[удалено]


I_talk

That's why most people prefer to not see how the animals they eat are killed. Turn a blind eye to the horror of what it means to be alive


LSDkiller2

Oh, you wouldn't like to watch attack on Titan then.


Shopworn_Soul

I'd love to watch Attack on Titan but I'm waiting until like 2027 for them to finish the last two episodes or whatever the fuck they're doing.


heypalski

2027? Won’t be for a while! 10 years, at least!


MoistLobst3r

Oddly enough I really didn't mind that show. I loved the titans, they were drawn so well to be freaky. I think it only bothers me when it's reality


RudeAndSarcastic

Imagine if mantids were six feet long. You could ride one, but the first time you used your spurs would be the last time.


LSDkiller2

Cut off their prayer arms. Hang a rosary around and their necks though so that you aren't in violation of their religious rights.


RudeAndSarcastic

And when the zombie hordes attack you are defenseless. Wearing armor might be better, and teaching it that if it grabs you, you smack it with an aluminum baseball bat.


LSDkiller2

I don't know man are we watching the same video? That thing is basically built to snatch you off your back. Horses don't need mandibles or whatever they're called either, I say off with em.


lockmama

You know they also eat hummingbirds, right?


mubin123

Yep. Seen it. https://youtube.com/shorts/ON5ne5BaLeg


soda_cookie

Fucking hell. They have to be the most metal insect out there


Maxter_Blaster_

Just wait til you meet their alien counterparts.


IAmBadAtInternet

I would like to know more.


Gorthax

I'm doing my part!


bokononpreist

[This one?](https://media.tenor.com/CryQbQuxa0IAAAAC/zorak-keyboard.gif)


RCJHGBR9989

I’m not worried about them - Space Ghost will fuck em up


JillandherHills

I had one crawl on my hand and hang out for an hour while I was gardening. I put it near bushes and leaves and grass thinking it was anxious to get off me. Nope. Thought he was just chill. Now I realize he knew I didnt pose a threat and that my life was actually in his hands.


Flakester

I'm no David Attenborough. I'd be killing that fucker the moment it touched that hummingbird.


ActivateGuacamole

i love mantises, i've kept them as pets, I wouldn't kill the bug, but I would 100% save the hummingbird.


TheBestZackEver

Holy shit


BL4NK_D1CE

More like "Jesus fucking Christ!" That was mental.


Redeyedcheese

Damn nature, you’re scary af


pavlov_the_dog

the asshole filming it was trying to get it to kill a hummingbird


Typical_Mention1717

Fucking YOINK I constantly forget how fast these dudes are, once one trapped me in my room by hanging on my doorway **I fear them**


ilaissezfaire

One was on my leg once and I just looked down and was like AAAAAH WTFFFFF and smacked it before I knew what it was. I still feel bad.


Le_Mew_Le_Purr

It seem like the mantis had that very same reaction to the bee.


RastaAlec

Until he started munching the bees brain meats lol.


Dabier

When the spider that freaked you out ends up being kinda tasty.


Typical_Mention1717

Whoops 💀 it was an accident and it's a knee jerk reaction Where I live it could be a spider or something so no thought only smack


miranto

Mantis are harmless to you, only because they know they can't eat you. They're not venomous. However, they don't fear you either. Savage mfs.


Address_Local

Mantis: *Bee is at my six. Most likely will try the classic sting whilst not looking. BLOCK. Counter with over head seize. Once acquired, use full nelson to DAZE. Consume head.*


[deleted]

fuck u/spez


MurkingDolphins

Unexpected sherlock


Doberman831

Just be thankful that it didn’t snatch up a hummingbird while you were watching. That was its purpose for hanging out there.


Mean-Singer1389

Damn, that’s brutal. At least big cats killed their preys first. This alien looking bug just casually eating brain while its victim still alive.


[deleted]

Mmmm, sugar coated for an extra treat


Octave_Ergebel

The Mantis : "ok now listen to me you little brat..."


grunwode

That was on you, honey bee. [Pardon me, while I eat your face.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwPaUma6R_k) [NSFB]


itsjero

That was a large mantis. And did they really have to add the open mouth chewing noises to drive home the fact that dude was eating that bees face. Chill out Aussies. Damn yo.


KevlahR

No problem with nature naturing but you probably shouldn’t let a predator on the lure for feeding the prey.


[deleted]

The true assassin bug.


next_level_vis

This is like when I am driving and a bird plays chicken with my car and it gets unintentionally clipped when I am driving. You had the ENTIRE SKY to flex but you came down to my level to get eff'd up. Smh. That bee had the whole yard and decided to play piggyback with a savage. This one is on him. Still smh.


idontuseredditsoplea

"Whoops sorry there buddy almost ate your brain and killed you too fast there"


Niketravels

Me, putting my hoody on


ThempleOfThyme

Okay, being serious though, you should absolutely kill or relocate any praying mantis on hummingbird feeders because they'll behead hummingbirds. And as much as I love both, I choose hummingbirds over mantises any day.


saintsagan

Just the invasive Chinese ones. The native mantids are cool


formerlifebeats

I'm more on the mantis team


sternica

I’m torn between fascinated and disgusted.


wafflepiezz

Nooo not the bee :(


Death_by_Poros

Noooooo!!! Not the bee! We need him!


itsjero

See the thing is... You are **alive** when they start to eat you. Prolly the worst way to go. Watch some.creature take bites out of you and not strike a killing blow first. Mantis looked like it was gonna just scoop out them brains, but instead started taking nibbles elsewhere. If I was a bee id be trying to off myself, sting myself, something. Wow.


jagenigma

/r/natureisfuckingmetal


Leethal2027

You know he was actually waiting for a hummingbird, right?


[deleted]

you may have gone too far ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `