Almost everyone is fascinated by ants; their numbers, cooperative skills, efficiency, apparent know-how and elegance are just too difficult to miss.  Dropping to your knees for a closer look may prove to be counterproductive: interactions are too many to grasp, individual ants are difficult to follow, and when one finally manages to focus on one - she often appears to be somewhat disoriented. Such characteristics  describe much of the biological world as it is composed of dense, communicating, and difficult to understand ensembles.
In our lab we combine experiments with theory, lab with field work, technological solutions with data analysis, and pencil scribbling with nest digging to try and take on the challenging task of observing ants.