I made one of those dreadful "The First Word You Find Will Define Your Year" word searches!

Ruben Schade :runbsd:🇦🇺🇸🇬

It's all stuff I care about, and by extension, I can only assume everyone else does too.

(I'm not sure how you'd write alt-text for this, so I also link to the word list on my post about it).

Rubenerd: Silly word search for 2025

The first word you see will define your year. Remember these!?

Rubenerd (rubenerd.com)

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Update: Thanks for sharing what you got, this has shamelessly been fun to read haha

myrmepropagandist

@rubenerd

The First Word You See Will Define 2025 For You.

(Yay I got "dichthadiigyne" you know it's gonna be a GREAT year now.)

(A perfectly normal word search.)

Bruce Heerssen

@futurebird
What is a trophallaxis?

Bruce Heerssen

@futurebird
Oh. Umm... TIL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trophallaxis

myrmepropagandist

@bruce

"the kiss that refreshes"

myrmepropagandist

@bruce

Trophallaxis is often described as how ants share food, like a mother bird feeding her babies, but ants do it so often that it's clear it has other functions.

Trophallaxis seems to play a role in how the colony asses what it needs. Is there enough sugar? Do we need more protein? If you know what's in your sister's tummies this is an easier question to answer with accuracy.

myrmepropagandist

@bruce

Trophallaxis is a form of communication, not just a way to share resources. It forms part of the wider awareness of their surroundings shared by ants. The ant you meet on the sidewalk may not have been *told* that her sisters in the rock garden killed a millipede and now the colony has plenty of protein... but through a chain of trophallaxis spanning half a dozen sisters she is still aware.

And that is why she wants your bubblegum. Because sugar is now the priority.

Efficiency!