Termites are a group of detritophagous eusocial insects which consume a wide variety of decaying plant material, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, and soil humus. They are distinguished by their moniliform antennae and the soft-bodied and often unpigmented worker caste for which they have been commonly termed "white ants"; however, they are not ants, to which they are only distantly related. About 2,972 extant species are currently described, 2,105 of which are members of the family Termitidae.
Termites comprise the infraorder Isoptera, or alternatively the epifamily Termitoidae, within the order Blattodea (along with cockroaches). Termites were once classified in a separate order from cockroaches, but recent phylogenetic studies indicate that they evolved from cockroaches, as they are deeply nested within the group, and the sister group to wood eating cockroaches of the genus Cryptocercus. Previous estimates suggested the divergence took place during the Jurassic or Triassic. More recent estimates suggest that they have an origin during the Late Jurassic, with the first fossil records in the Early Cretaceous.
Similarly to ants and some bees and wasps from the separate order Hymenoptera, most termites have an analogous "worker" and "soldier" caste system consisting of mostly sterile individuals which are physically and behaviorally distinct. Unlike ants, most colonies begin from sexually mature individuals known as the "king" and "queen" that together form a lifelong monogamous pair. Also unlike ants, which undergo a complete metamorphosis, termites undergo an incomplete metamorphosis that proceeds through egg, nymph, and adult stages. Termite colonies are commonly described as superorganisms due to the collective behaviors of the individuals which form a self-governing entity: the colony itself. Their colonies range in size from a few hundred individuals to enormous societies with several million individuals. Most species are rarely seen, having a cryptic life-history where they remain hidden within the galleries and tunnels of their nests for most of their lives.
Termites' success as a group has led to them colonizing almost every global landmass, with the highest diversity occurring in the tropics where they are estimated to constitute 10% of the animal biomass, particularly in Africa which has the richest diversity with more than 1000 described species. They are important decomposers of decaying plant matter in the subtropical and tropical regions of the world, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance. Many species are ecosystem engineers capable of altering soil characteristics such as hydrology, decomposition, nutrient cycling, vegetative growth, and consequently surrounding biodiversity through the large mounds constructed by certain species.
Termites have several impacts on humans. They are a delicacy in the diet of some human cultures such as the Makiritare in the Alto Orinoco province of Venezuela, where they are commonly used as a spice. They are also used in traditional medicinal treatments of various diseases and ailments, such as influenza, asthma, bronchitis, etc. Termites are most famous for being structural pests; however, the vast majority of termite species are innocuous, with the regional numbers of economically significant species being: North America, 9; Australia, 16; Indian subcontinent, 26; tropical Africa, 24; Central America and the West Indies, 17. Of known pest species, 28 of the most invasive and structurally damaging belong to the genus Coptotermes. The distribution of most known pest species is expected to increase over time as a consequence of climate change. Increased urbanization and connectivity is also predicted to expand the range of some pest termites.
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Ancient Network Of Massive Termite Mounds In Brazil Are "Biological Wonders"
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34,000-year-old termite mounds in South Africa are still being used
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it is patently absurd that we dont already have a law making using AI generated content illegal for elections (also generally but im addressing the election atm), especially out right fabricated nonsense like this
everyone saw the writing on the wall about ai generated photos as soon as they came out, i know the laws move slow on shit like this (anything that doesn't involve funneling weapons to whatever war we're involved in at the moment) but its absolutely wild to me that this shit is gonna be allowed to be used like this at least for a couple elections if not forever. a normal society would make this shit illegal and slap a heavy ass punishment on it asap
counterpoint: this shit rules
Chinese netizens are allowed to use ai and no one else lol
I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:
Shit don’t get me started 💀 Kinda wild that a revolution hasn’t even begun to unfold. There have been very few technological developments that have contributed any value add in the last decade or so, and with each passing day, it becomes more and more apparent that my fellow man (aside from radical leftists which are negligible) is not on my side. And Godamn it I’m not pretending like I’m contributing to any sort of change by being mad online/irl in my echo chamber because I’m certainly not. But I would just hope that the average person would just note what is happening with technology (cough cough ubiquitous “AI” bullshit) and opt out/pushback instead of uncritically implementing it into all aspects of their life. And it’s just going to continue to get worse because no one is willing to do anything about it.
Like, how can you not be pro socialist authoritarianism at this point lmao it really seems like Francis Fukuyama has been racking up a ton of Ws lately because the level of inequality and exploitation we’re dealing with here has gotta rival that of pre-revolutionary Russia and China. Doesn’t matter though, the average burger-brained fuck is still too content with what little bread and circuses they have left for anything to change
my partner's coworker uses it to make art for their client booklets (that she makes as a form of unpaid labor btw) its just all so fucking bleak
was listening to the recent western kabuki featuring Ed Zitron about how useless the shit really is and what a sink hole it is for money, so here's to hoping that the shit collapses soon but I already know they'll have the next big tech grift lined up like theyve done for crypto, NFTs, and now this AI nonsense