SEE VIDEO DOCUMENTATION HERE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRqydF-U-0Q&t=1s
Antenkere or Ant Thinkers (2011) is a system using single threaded open source microcomputers to investigate how artificial directed “positive” and “negative” thoughts affect social behavior in ants. Following the Plantenkere project structure and formatting an investigation of thought’s influence of social behavior arising from the Wishing Well project. Microcontrollers are programmed with text strings placed on the walls of the ant farm. The two microcontrollers on one art farm “think” “negative” thoughts, and the two microcontrollers place on the other ant farm “thinks” “positive” thoughts (as defined by Masaru Emoto). These thoughts were actually reappropriated from Emoto’s frozen water experiments. When Emoto spoke these sentences to the water, and then froze that water to analyze the water crystal formation, Emoto reveals photographs from his findings. Emoto states that the formation of the crystals from the positively impacted water results in geometrically symetrical and “beautiful” crystals, while the negatively impacted water results in random arrays of crystals where no symmetrical or “beautiful” result occurs. Antenkere investigates whether or not embedding or automating our thoughts and wishes on technology amplifies or has any positive or negative effect on the behavior of the ants as they dig their holes and build their underground pathways. This project is still in process.
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