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First, until this study has been replicated by a different laboratory, one completely removed from the original lab, I invoke Betteridge's Law[1]: "Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word no."

Second, dogs are notorious for failing the mirror test, along with many monkey species, and these species have plenty more brain calls than ants (although brain size may bear only a superficial relationship to the outcome of this test). Extraordinary results require extraordinary evidence.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headline...



> these species have plenty more brain calls than ants

Much less complex societies though, for what it's worth.


I wouldn't say that. Much less regimented social behavior, perhaps. But ants have a lot of behaviors that clearly demonstrate their algorithmic nature.

http://io9.gizmodo.com/5895435/how-to-create-an-ant-spiral-o...

For one of the more dramatic examples.


Seems humans routinely fail the mirror test as well...

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EmsAq9dwolw




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