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> dhw: [i]animals and plants have their own forms of [b]cognition, memory, communication, information-processing, decision-making etc.[/b] – all elements of what we call intelligence.[/i]
> 
> Do you agree that these are attributes that denote intelligence?
> 
> dhw: [...] [i]would you say that ants have a certain degree of autonomous intelligence?[/i]
> 
> DAVID: [i]To the degree they make either/or choices, yes.[/i]
> 
> dhw: [i]I’m amazed that you consider the invention of farming techniques, of rafting, of the many strategies used to combat enemies, and indeed of building whole cities to be either/or choices. But at least we’ve made a start. Ants apparently do have a degree of autonomous intelligence since they can choose between two options. Otherwise, though, all the above examples of intelligence are apparently the work of automatons to whom a hands-on God gives courses in or implants instructions for farming, rafting, soldiering and architecture. Have I got that right?[/i]
> 
> Please tell me if the above is an accurate description of your beliefs.
> 
> DAVID: [i]See previous entry as each ant does his own thing:
> Ant intelligence; colony traffic jam controls (Introduction)
> by David Turell @, Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 20:51[/i]
> 
> I’m not very proficient with the technology of finding threads. There are 59 pages of them! I gave up after scrolling through the first 10. Sorry. The second one was easy, though:
> 
> DAVID:[i]The same findings were found in bridge building:
> Natures wonders: ants build bridges by individual action (Introduction)
> by David Turell @, Friday, March 02, 2018, 18:44[/i]
> 
> QUOTE: [i]"As individual ants run the “bridging” algorithm, they have a sensitivity to being stampeded. When traffic over their backs is above a certain level, they hold in place, but when it dips below some threshold — perhaps because too many other ants are now occupied in bridge-building themselves — the ant unfreezes and rejoins the march.”[/i]
> 
> The quote does not preclude intelligence, but the article does generally opt for some sort of blind automatism. However, it ends with a far more balanced view, even echoed by yourself:
> 
> QUOTE: “'[i]We describe army ants as simple, but we don’t even understand what they’re doing. Yes, they’re simple, but maybe they’re not as simple as people think,” said Melvin Gauci, a researcher at Harvard University."[/i]
> 
> DAVID: [i]Each ant follows a built-in algorithm, but there could be a degree of group think not yet uncovered.[/i]
> 
> Yes indeed. Now perhaps you’ll comment on my response to your previous post.