It's the Matrix, but for locusts.

[@TomScottGo]

This is the most uncomfortable I've ever felt while filming, for a few reasons. First, of course, because of the locust swarm itself. Second, because animal research - even on creatures as simple and pestilent as locusts - always raises ethical questions. Now, the researchers are careful with the locusts, and I don't think many people could have a problem with this. Indeed, most of the world currently has zero ethical restrictions on insect experimentation - but it's still worth interrogating whether this is okay. And finally: because if we can do this so easily to less intelligent creatures... what's to stop something more intelligent coming along and doing the same to us?

[@I_love_dr_stone]

don't worry tom i wont let them do that to you

[@blackholesun4942]

Because we could just communicate our patterns of society to the smarter beings and no harm would be done ? 🤔🤔

[@Felinusfish]

I mean hey, if there's something more intelligent that'll take us and start experimenting on us, at that point we'd be at war, wouldn't we? 😂

[@goatcheese4me]

If something more intelligent comes along and experiments on us, we've already ran into bigger problems

[@flygod.]

I mean human are given dominion for a reason even just from religion

[@Cimlite]

Tom doesn't even know he's still in there. He legitimately thinks he's out and about in the world. _It's wild stuff._

[@somark28]

What a quaint lad, I really enjoy him. I hope one day they let him out and about in the real world like the rest of us. Best of luck, Tom!

[@mrshhjj8899]

@@somark28 Quiet please! You're trying to interfere with our test data on Tom!

[@motifity3416]

I support freedom for Tom! Free him!

[@matthijsmelissen2469]

To be fair, I think the experiment designers have taken it a bit too far recently. They've been exposing Tom to such utterly weird graphics, at some point he must be realising he's in a simulation right?

[@somark28]

@@matthijsmelissen2469 the lack of awareness is actually not a limitation of the simulation but the test subject itself sadly

[@HawkeGaming]

"So what do you do for a living?" "I glue retro-reflective tags to the backs of thousands of locusts"

[@ThatOpalGuy]

making bugs easier to see, one bug at a time. want to know more?????

[@jimbob3332]

It's not much, but it's honest work

[@GameFuMaster]

@@ThatOpalGuy I guess you can call it... bug detection

[@michac3796]

@@ThatOpalGuy She's doin' her part.

[@OrigamiMarie]

I don't know why, but I find the bug clamps (pair of foam blocks) kinda funny.

[@Scroolewse]

This video _needs_ a follow-up like a year or two from now. I am so curious to see what they'll discover.

[@serronserron1320]

New advertisements for hiring interns because all the other ones have disappeared

[@adrianjagielak]

And I, for one, welcome our new insect overlords

[@MeThePeoples]

A year or two later: "the locusts have taken over the lab and are forcing the humans to run on the spherical treadmills"

[@lntg]

@JohnMosesBrowningVEVO Holy cow, didn't even clock that. You're so right!

[@UtubeH8tr]

Human testing would be on the table.

[@MCraft4U]

Being a student at the same university in a different subject, I had no idea what crazy stuff they do, even though I have friends in behavioural Biology. Thanks Tom for showing me interesting stuff from my hometown (for the second time now) :D

[@Schpaetzlemitsoss]

Ich hatte den Prof Couzin heute in Animal Behavior und er hat uns Ausschnitte aus dem Video gezeigt, gesagt wir sollten es mal zuhause ganz anschauen, allerdings ohne zu erwähnen dass er selber darin vorkommt😂 Grüßle ausm Biological Sciences Studiengang😂

[@thedarknightnicht]

Ja auch grade gesehen als Psychologe an der Uni Konstanz. Wusste nicht dass die Biologen da so krass ausgestattet sind. Hab einfach Tom scott an der uni verpasst

[@MCraft4U]

@@thedarknightnicht das denk ich mir auch. Richtig schade. Hätte ihn echt mal gerne in Person gesehen :D

[@rachelspencer777]

this is how I feel when the ethical questions arise…just because we don’t yet understand how something can experience feeling doesn’t mean that creature doesn’t have the capacity to feel. When something seems different from ourselves we tend to disregard their feelings and our ethical standards.

[@catatoblob8598]

​@rachelspencer8887 the scientific consensus is that insects probably feel pain. But people also accidentally or deliberately kill dozens of insects everyday, so they're too inconvenient for us to care about.

[@clamdeity]

Shoutout to that one locust who didnt even care about the marching swarm and just kept messing with the camera. Little dude's living it up

[@gxgx55]

Dude took the red pill, oh dear

[@holypriest1054]

"He's beginning to believe"

[@Wattchn]

It's the Truman locust :O

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

Just loves being in the spotlight.

[@claratenzs]

He made my face itch though a screen, dudes got skill 🦗

[@bullet4346]

You take the blue pill... the story ends, you wake up in your locust swarm and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill... you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the locust sphere goes.

[@Ramonatho]

Locust Sphere... Be right back, got some songs to write for my new band Locust Sphere.

[@lucimon97]

Can you hear that chirping Mr. Anderson? That is the sound of inevitability.

[@RemoWilliams1227]

​@@Ramonatho love it

[@RemoWilliams1227]

​@@Ramonatho swarm sphere?

[@DragonOfTheMortalKombat]

Morpheus, The truth is that these bees we see around ourselves are pathetic and I hate them. They spread and sting wherever they can and do you know what other creature shows this behavior? A VIRUS

[@orangemonkeykiller]

I love the last little bit where Tom gets to watch the scientists in their natural habitat

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

And it looks like it's Tom's natural habitat, too.

[@bernier42]

No the last little bit is when we hear thousands of locust feet walking around for 15 seconds.

[@mitchellspanheimer1803]

@@bernier42Yeah that was unsettling...

[@giangkim8789]

ok

[@truongtran-sl6rh]

ok

[@OrangeC7]

That little bit at the end where Tom was apparently there to see research happen in real time was amazing

[@tobiasbreuer4625]

I love how the reseacher on the right behind tom smiles when hearing his praise for them. 6:41

[@am7ha7]

nice catch

[@mastershooter64]

haha yea that was wholesome

[@queenieevergreen]

Loved that too ❤ It’s not everyday they’re appreciated like that, I’m sure.

[@jackhe9374]

@@thisisreallife9026 smh

[@smileyp4535]

Eagle eye! Though it could be something else but that's the best thought

[@HungVu-ec3jk]

This is arguably the best video of recent. The topic is interesting and has a lot of implications for many fields beyond biology and its direct substudies. The camera work and close up shots are well timed and presented, Tom wrote a good script. The professor is also very detailed in his explanation but also does not obscure the topic by going into higher level concepts. Honestly he's one of the best featured on this channel

[@idontknowman420]

Yes, I thought so as well

[@Valmotrine]

There is also the fact that by the time it is being recorded, a never before seen event happened.

[@rub3s]

But where monorail? 😢

[@realDonaldTrump420]

Toms wrong tho. Locusts don't attack healthy crops. Pesticides are a scam by the fertilizer industry. You can tell this guy eats fast food then gets vaxxed out of fear, instead of getting proper nutrition.

[@muazqamar]

@@Valmotrine What

[@naffal1538]

the fact that we can just decode thoughts into lines of C++ is just terrifying

[@comparatorclock]

If that sort of thing starts happening in relation to human thought patterns, then it would only be a matter of time until the Borg are created on earth... 😱😱😱

[@remains2246]

it's Python not C++

[@Happy-to3tf]

@@comparatorclock id gladly get a borg chip installed if itd let me run some premade workout programs while my consciousness naps or something

[@comparatorclock]

@@Happy-to3tf I mean, that would be nice, just as long as one's individuality is kept intact. Thing is, I don't really trust that those in charge of the tech development would be willing to ensure that individuality is preserved... but then again, that could be my paranoia talking...

[@lowcostfish]

That's not what's happening.

[@mst4309]

My friend in my biology class is terrified of insects, and when we dissected locusts he was outside doing revision sheets. I’m sure he’d love to work here

[@ladyred9613]

You are such a caring friend

[@DragonOfTheMortalKombat]

Everybody deserves a friend like you.

[@northstarjakobs]

How exactly do you dissect a locust? It's so small

[@barahng]

​@@northstarjakobs Very carefully.

[@daskampffredchen]

@@northstarjakobs With even smaller tools

[@boewin756]

I wonder how expensive all this technology is. I trust that it’s locost.

[@Saladaszz]

Fun fact:Fredric Baur, the inventor of the Pringles can, is buried in one.

[@lucasknox4871]

Great one

[@levihope4737]

Take my like!

[@TheEDFLegacy]

...and get out! 😂

[@panzerofthelake4460]

dies from laughter

[@timothymclean]

If only Tom Scott could have set up this video so that the title randomly changed between referencing The Matrix, holodecks, and alien abductions each time someone looked at it.

[@avfxz]

Nothing a beard cant fix

[@liamdormon7822]

You would get instantly rate limited attempting something like that

[@ecclesman]

I second this idea!

[@timothymclean]

@@liamdormon7822 There is a reason I said "If only this was possible" and not "Why didn't Tom do this?"

[@googleuser3163]

Wouldn't work, rate limits.

[@aniketlal1657]

The researcher in the lab coat @6:41 is so happy to see Tom gettting excited. It feels great when other people appreciate the work we do.

[@srzsrz2049]

Jay Shree Ram!

[@mikehydroseed1282]

Thanks for pointing that out, if you had not I would have missed that data in my life memory bank. Much obliged

[@whyjnot420]

The time lapse of them eating at 3:39 made me say "wow" out loud. I have seen plenty of before & after images, showing fields that have been ravaged by them. But to see them advance like infantry was something else. edit: Tom's face at the end when talking about the researchers coming up with new ideas right in front of him is great. Regardless of how uncomfortable he was at any other time, he looks absolutely gleeful there.

[@TimestopEntertainment]

I also love how as he is doing that, you can see the researcher behind him (to his right) look over at him with a little smirk, like his glee is infectious and they're happy to see someone so excited about it.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

It almost looks like a computer simulation, but you have to believe it when you see it's happening in real life.

[@five_times_avy]

Every time the camera cuts to a large swarm of locusts, the video quality drops immediately - and thanks to a much older video by Tom, we also know why! (It's been said many times before, but it's just lovely to see these concepts you're taught occur in concrete situations)

[@Photonees]

It's because they are eating the bitrate

[@vaibhavk2400]

@@Photonees that’s right. Confetti, snow, locusts.

[@coolloafofbread6462]

locust confetti

[@ItalianJesus3]

Why does it drop?

[@YourDadWithTheMilk304]

@@ItalianJesus3 I would guess simply because our devices have more detail to render, so the quality drops to make it easier for the image processor/gpu in our devices to display on our screens 🤓

[@Chris-ok4zo]

I cannot believe there is a way to combine the fear of insects and the fear of dangerous technology into one feeling. Science is something.

[@danielthecake8617]

technophobes, insectophobes, and more: burn the entire lab

[@idontwantahandlethough]

*cleanse it with FIRE*

[@Yellow-lx8dj]

no ... Let ...

[@CAMacKenzie]

6:17 to 6:27. That behavior shown reminded me of water sloshing back and forth in an enclosed pool. I've seen this in a swimming pool after an earthquake, though it is easily creatable on a small scale in a bowl of water. Fascinating!

[@markzambelli]

1:55 a rare instance of seeing a scientist actually using a real spherical-cow

[@evangorski7992]

Sadly not in a vacuum tho:/😂

[@barryschwarz]

I appreciate this remark!

[@ombricshalazar3869]

spherical and frictionless but sadly not massless or in a vacuum

[@someoneorother2758]

Locust: *walking slowly on a giant ball* Scientists: "he's starting to believe."

[@missrobinhoodie]

Humans: *walking slowly on a giant ball*

[@itsathing3369]

Locus scientists: “he is starting to believe!”

[@DragonOfTheMortalKombat]

I love these definitely not matrix references.

[@Stratelier]

Locust: "There is no ball."

[@itsathing3369]

Humans: there is no spoon

[@adireloaded]

how you manage to find these unbelievably insane stories that no one has ever heard of to make these amazing videos about them just blows my mind... you're such a gift to us and i love you so so much side note, this is absolutely HORRIFYING

[@abbofun9022]

Agree, suspect that by now Tom is so well known researchers reach out to him.

[@darrennew8211]

@@abbofun9022 Yes. He's said a few times that he got invited to go see things others don't get to see.

[@xalaxium]

terrifying*

[@jakoon_the_manic]

He get's contacted

[@Michele_aka_Latente]

read Scienze (the montly journal)

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

I'm primarily impressed by the kind of finesse and detail it takes to deal with these little things. I guess it's still easier than it'd be to build the same things on a human scale.

[@DauntlessDH]

I'm both amazed and oddly terrified by this. It truly feels like something you'd see in the exposition dump at the beginning of some post-apocalypse movie.

[@agape_99]

@Mark Aspen thats a psychological war, please adapt, learn about usage limits, how to minimize dependency, solid research results about it, p*rn also hacks our brains, commercials did with the fancy toys, workd is already a place where billions (probably millions but bc u generalized to billions, i used the same metric) want their nails to be polished every week (imagine a whole industry, ask them and they will say "its our cosmetics makes us happy", bruh could it make anyone happy 100 years ago this much, see the psychological damage already?) it needs collective work i guess to not to make same mistakes we did with previous "new big things"

[@-_deploy_-]

Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom + The Matrix + Any other sci-fi movie

[@fubarpie]

Coming this summer, it's ... THE SWARM!

[@loganwalton8952]

@Mark Aspen Uhh, theres only 8 billion of us how many billions are you talking?

[@seanmadson8524]

@Mark Aspen People getting surgery to plug into computers won't be a big hit, as it is too scary and unnecessary for most people to seriously contemplate. The true danger will come from any type of non-invasive gear, such as a helmet, that can read your brainwaves. It may even be possible to remotely stimulate your brain through such a device, but despite this it will likely be appealing enough to make many people risk using them regardless

[@bhrflx]

What a fascinating series of experiments happening right in my hometown! Thanks for shining a light on it. I was the guy bothering you for a photo the day you arrived in Constance. You were probably weary of travel and I wanted to both apologise for that and also thank you for being so friendly and taking the time regardless. Keep up the good work!

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

If I saw Tom I would definitely ask for a photo. Probably everybody here would. He's an absolute legend.

[@krishp1104]

@@adrianthoroughgood1191 I would ask him to record a 10 second clip of him introducing me as the topic of his next video

[@pabloata4708]

@@krishp1104 oh, the classic disrespectful person.

[@_aullik]

I saw him cross the street to McDonalds in the evening (Industriegebiet) and i was really confused for a second. However decided not to drive up to him and annoy him.

[@bhrflx]

@@_aullik Probably the right call, I felt sort of bad for it afterwards. Grüße von der anderen Rheinseite!

[@oliverc1293]

I work on food security and nutrition in East Africa. This is genuinely very helpful. Thanks!

[@TippyHippy]

I put my hamster in a sock and slammed it against the furniture.

[@abdulla10955]

@@TippyHippy Wake up Locust.

[@ritaamor283]

I am so glad for your video description in the text below the video and the questions you raise. I enjoy your other videos and your work so much, that when I saw the title of this one I was unsure we had the same vision on what is ethical.

[@thisusernamewasnttakensomehow]

This feels like a modern take on Plato’s allegory of the cave for bugs. Really cool

[@The5lacker]

Plato's Allegory of the Bug on a Ball in the Matrix was presumably lost in the Library of Alexandria.

[@scottanno8861]

​@@The5lacker What a tragedy. Time to discover the steam software engine they developed.

[@imperialofficer6185]

it's just like Plato guys

[@that_one_guy934]

@@Sami-fg2bm You live in a cave, only staring at a wall. Behind you, there's a walkway and a light behind that. You will believe the shadows on the wall to be reality, that the shadows _are_ humans, and that the wall is all that there is.

[@Viniter]

Ah yes. The original sci-fi story!

[@sparta117corza]

I lived on a farm in rural Australia during a locust plague, seeing these small swarms barely begins to describe the apocalyptic numbers of these insects filling the air during a plague, the insects literally coating the landscape like grass. How they billow up like clouds of smoke when you step near them.

[@typicalwatcher1557]

I watched the documentary on Netflix with that guy and he talked about locus swarms, they're huge like in the billions and travel very fast

[@tichu7]

As a kid, grasshoppers fascinated me. In our backyard we had a huge diversity of species represented in their appearance, their flight characteristics, and their courting strategies, all relatively easy for a child to observe.

[@GeoffCostanza]

Watching this video reminded me of the broad variety of grasshoppers I saw in my yard as a kid. A few decades later, and I rarely see any. I'm certain it's due to the pesticides that everybody puts all over their lawns.

[@incognitoman3656]

@@GeoffCostanza conversely, nobody gardens anymore. This problem is noticeable also with birds of prey being so few and far between. We have a huge rabbit problem in the spring, squirrels steal bird food, and turkeys just exist in the fall. No predators. The tiniest things have no reason to be there

[@WryAun]

The whole thing was great Tom! Really fascinating stuff but the part I loved was how much you looked like someone who'd snuck backstage at a show at the end, just so excited by this brand new thing they were seeing, your genuine geeky joy is a pleasure to behold!

[@erichighsmith7299]

I’m also very fascinated with flocks of birds. And how sometimes they are so dense and they turn at the same time like a giant blob moving around seemingly random in the sky

[@bikeny]

Back in 1958, there was a documentary on how blobs move. It's called The Blob.

[@judet2992]

That’s called a Murmuration. It’s really cool.

[@davidgustavsson4000]

While we're here, there's a simple model that simulates murmurations quite well, search for "Boids" (as in New York for "birds").

[@aidy6000]

except the birds arent trying to cannabalise eachother as their only source of protein

[@BlueFlash215]

It's a birdoid. There are good videos about it.

[@meabhmurphy9090]

We had a fish matrix back at my uni. The fish were completely paralysed but they thought they were moving, and all their senses were fed false information.

[@fim-43redeye31]

This is hard to believe. How did you replicate EVERY sense?

[@youtubesucks-yx6kk]

👁️👁️

[@leyrua]

​@@fim-43redeye31 I assume it was through their eyes and the electromagnetic sensory strips on the sides of their bodies.

[@CatPlayGround]

Don't give the elites any idea's

[@stephaniebach__12-24]

How do you prove the fish believed they were moving?

[@MegaDeox]

I have a big phobia of locusts and cricket type insects. I only listened to this video, sometimes glancing over to see a horrifying frame. This is a nightmare.

[@delfinenteddyson9865]

I am just thankful these weren't spiders

[@GreggyAck]

What’s the minimum amount of money you’d take to lay down in that big white locust bowl?

[@skrimper]

5:50

[@unclesam8862]

@@GreggyAck 10 dollars

[@Spaceman0025]

​@@GreggyAck 10000$

[@heribertovasquezcarrasco8888]

Remarkable! I was glued to the screen!

[@sergiorestrepo6657]

All of Tom's biology videos involve massive efforts into some task. It's always very impressive, always makes me go "They're really doing that". Great video.

[@Zanaki113]

Its weird realizing just how much is going on in the world all at the same time.

[@WanderTheNomad]

@@Zanaki113 I find it relieving to know that we're not just putting all of our eggs in one basket.

[@izadoks3672]

I am really bad at handling close up shots of any kind of insect, but I'll be damned cause I'm sitting through this one! Tom, you continue to find fascinating and interesting topics along with equally fascinating people explaining them. Thank you.

[@jphilb]

4:10 Can you imagine if all those locusts jumped up at the same time and swarmed on Tom? I'm sure he thought of that possibility.

[@Leviathan56]

I would literally die if a guy did that to me

[@stanleybochenek1862]

@@Leviathan56 wtff

[@Impetuss]

Doubt they can jump that high

[@shaetane]

Utterly fascinating video, thank you for this! I'm so excited to see what this lab will discover and share with the world, especially as a prospective environmental management student^^

[@boat378]

So it's a lab researching swarm intelligence? That's super interesting! Would love a follow-up in a year or so.

[@Ithinkjustzelda]

look up the research group! They work on a ton of different animals and behaviours.

[@TheRealInscrutable]

New origin story for the Borg.....

[@forenamesurname5326]

@@TheRealInscrutable I am Locust of Borg. Resistance is futile.

[@siliconhawk]

@@TheRealInscrutable what is borg ?

[@TheRealInscrutable]

@@siliconhawk a cultural reference to Star Trek. Borg are the ultimate horror genre villains. They kill the individuality without killing the body. They make you participate in your own enslavement and death of soul.

[@jomialsipi]

At 6:18 the swarm movement looks like an harmonic oscillator. I wonder if the population density gradient could be influencing the swarm overall motion.

[@Ithinkjustzelda]

thats exactly one of the questions they are trying to answer. Stay tuned for the publibations!

[@JWooden271]

I wonder how locusts would respond to a double-slit experiment. Would they behave like waves or particles?

[@Ithinkjustzelda]

@@JWooden271 that is also an incredibly good idea. I think they tried it. Not sure about the results tho

[@ShadowDragon8685]

@@JWooden271 These people apparently have tens of thousands of locusts to burn. Propose it and they might just try it.

[@DonkoXI]

​@@JWooden271 They would pass through both slits simultaneously and only collapse back into a single locust upon observation

[@jrlanglois]

"What did you do today?" "I spent the entire day painstakingly gluing a disc to a locust, to about 10 000 locusts, by mounting each one individualy to a piece of foam -- all to track them inside of a mocap room." "Oh."

[@QualisysMocap]

What a cool application of motion capture using a Qualisys Arqus system! We are often asked 'how many bodies can you track?' In this case - 10,000, more or less 😆✔ Thank you for sharing - always interesting to see the variety of ways our systems are used, in both big and small. 👏

[@hypochondriac1]

The idea of swarm inteligence kinda reminds me of the wisdom of the crowd effect where the average of all guesses in one of those 'guess how many jelly beans are in this jar' games will come really close to the actual answer!

[@gljames24]

The wisdom of the crowd can be wrong tho. The jelly guess only works if no one communicates their guess. People will naturally skew their own estimate because we innately consider that other people have knowledge that we don't even when that isn't true and the other person was also guessing with no basis. This is how wrong knowledge can become entrenched into the public consciousness. The memetic transfer of information does alter this slowly over time tho.

[@TheZabbiemaster]

02:06 Brb I'm debugging my locust

[@ToddTevlin]

This needs a follow up video in the future. I would love to see what their results were and what their next steps are. Thanks for this!

[@ConstantinSPurcea]

There are very few KZbinrs that offer real value to the community. You offer real educational value. Thank you, Tom.

[@ThatOpalGuy]

seems like a good way to spend research money and a very important thing to know, considering that this will be a growing problem as the earth warms

[@howitzer551]

I remember reading somewhere that some (I don't know if it's all) Locusts only become what we refer to as a true locust when they are in a swarm. I believe it has something to do with when there is more rainfall than usual more eggs are laid, and they sync up hatching (some hatch early). This means there a more nymphs crowded together and that somehow triggers them to become true Locusts instead of just big grasshoppers. If the swarming behavior has some sort of rule set like that, where just a few simple things can create a complex change then figuring it out could really help predict when a swarm can happen.

[@Ithinkjustzelda]

That's right, the solitary version of these Locusts looks just like grasshoppers. The transformation is actually induced by the smell and constant touching of other locusts (so when it gets to crowded). Then the final adult stages turn into the big locusts that devastate continents.

[@ModestMang]

Oh so y’all believe it’s over crowding behavior? Have y’all heard of rat kings? Is that over crowding behavior?

[@kylanacus2407]

I literally imagined building this same holodeck set up, but for a fish in a tank so that it could swim in an infinite ocean!

[@Veriflon88]

They actually do that at the same research center!

[@sevenseven7990]

@@Veriflon88 bruh they need to get that tech on the market for pet fish owners

[@bhavjotkang8004]

@@sevenseven7990 it would be the size of a swimming pool. At that point just put it in a swimming pool.

[@triton62674]

Surely the fish would just keeping bumping into the glass

[@Yolwoocle]

@@Veriflon88 do you have any article or resources about this? I'm curious to know more

[@Taruko3000]

Every time I saw a locus jump "YIPEEE: plays in my mind

[@DonnaPinciot]

I love weird organic-tech stuff like this, and especially brain things. I remember an old project simulating an entire worm's structure, and another one putting their brain in a car or something? It was weird, but so so fascinating to see them learn how to control it in real-time!

[@andreyrumming6842]

Currently working on custom hardware for large scale neural simulations. Hoping to get some middle point, where a biological brain is simulated in tech hardware, but then connected to a bio body. That way if the body starts to malfunction and organ failure or old age starts to kick in, you can save the brain and just swap to a new body. VERY MUCH a new field RN, and I'm only the custom hardware and simulation side of things

[@sigmamale4147]

Surely this technology will never ever be used for nefarious purposes Surely

[@solidsnake9924]

Yes our dystopian future is very exciting!

[@Kaepsele337]

Have you seen the paper where they train brain cells (I think from a rat) to fly in a plane simulator? Ignoring the ethical issues, it's fascinating. All that you need is to punish wrong behavior with a high frequency signal and reward positive behavior with a 50 Hertz signal and the neurons will figure out how to avoid the pain.

[@negative6442]

@@solidsnake9924 dystopian future is when scientific locust observation

[@vittoprince]

Is there a locust Morpheus giving a locust Neo a red leaf or blue leaf? Is there a locust Agent Smith infecting the Locust Matrix?

[@blackholesun4942]

I find his matrix comparision kinda clumsy and clickbaity 😥

[@somethingsomething7679]

Technically, they're trying to find out how these locusts somehow changed in to smith locusts

[@infinitesquarez]

Locust Agent Smith: I *hate* this place. This zoo. This prison. This... reality - whatever you want to call it. I can't stand it any longer.

[@VideoDude6475]

2:18 thats absolutely scary at night

[@zenreeio13IIIlI]

This is the best video you've made recently. Loved every second of it

[@troyh544]

Tom, your videos are always excellent, but this one is exceptional. This video is well told, gripping, and on multiple levels forces the audience to think deeply and productively. Thank you.

[@sheilaross1449]

OK, why do I find the angle at 3:49 so entertaining? 5:16 as well. It honestly feels like something I could watch for a lot longer.

[@hippieduck]

*Strange goings-on. A Locust's POV.* 🍿

[@adeen5438]

This is one of my favorite stories you've done for a while, great job!!

[@meaculpamishegas]

Your titles and subject matter are some of the most enticing without resorting to being trendy

[@dannorris1406]

intriguing how simply walking into this facility can change your footwear 0:19-0:21 😉 Great video as always Tom

[@bikeny]

Wow, great eye. Even after you pointed it out, I had to rewatch it twice.

[@aramos3639]

He was plugged in the moment he crossed that threshold

[@Max_Jacoby]

Do not try and change the boots, that’s impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth… there are no boots.

[@dan_rad]

Love these continuity errors. Keep up the good work!

[@timemycollection]

😂🙌🏾

[@Camaika1997]

This is SUCH an interesting topic of research! Makes my little biologist heart jump and swarm towards their publications

[@aadenboy]

hahah that was a good pun

[@caroline..0505]

I feel so itchy just watching them. I'm curious what results will come from this. I hope you can do another video in a year or two showing the findings and what the possible solutions could be.

[@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721]

They just move so fast I feel like they're moving toward me. Yet I can't look away.

[@ocelotsly5521]

Tom, congratulations on this video. Moreover, thank you for publicising the amazing research. This work has the potential to be a game-changer in how poverty and pollution are tackled. And what a remarkable space to film in. Great work.

[@Kumimono]

3:09 "Bob, how's it been?" "You know, eating, swarming. Locust stuff." "Same, same."

[@InTheBeginningTheUniverseWas]

4:00 jesus what a jumpscare. Being buried under a pile of locusts is much worse than being buried alive in just dirt!

[@gabarite_0.5]

But the sound was crunchy 🥨

[@BatCaveOz]

Locusts are grasshoppers that experienced (mostly) behavioral and (some) physiological changes in response to exposure to serotonin. The nature of the research being conducted often determines which term is used (ie "grasshopper=good or locust=bad).

[@MrDLYouTube]

Oh wow, I could watch a 5 hour documentary following these guys. Really interesting! People like them are who change the world!

[@rixuko2218]

Audio cameras on this would be insane. It be interesting to see groups marching in unison or showing the same behaviour, and how those respective frequencies match up. Do they use this to tell direction for example? Could ww just then, use these frequencies to just make them naturally move away from crops? Would we have to worry about noise polution, how crops are affected by these same measures that proctect them, to deem them safe and end using chemicals?

[@RFC-3514]

I believe audio cameras are called microphones.

[@BobBobIsSwag]

@@RFC-3514 I believe cameras are called image microphones 🤓

[@d3stroy1ng42]

@@RFC-3514 there are actually audio cameras, called acoustic cameras - Steve mold has a great video on this.

[@Joulespersecond]

There is some work on how locusts respond to audio, but my understanding is that they predominantly navigate using visual and tactile clues.

[@tilleyhat-man6128]

As a Biologist I can confirm Locusts are nuts

[@jazznstopstudios6092]

as a Locust, I absolutely concur

[@co2_os]

They are insects not nuts, mr biologist.

[@craigashworth3493]

Roasted and salted?

[@phildman132]

Um actually, technically they are legumes

[@Sableagle]

As a tourist, I can confirm locusts are delicious.

[@eliasjohansson]

this is really fascinating…aaand really uncomfortable. they’re insects, but they’re still _alive_. the ethics are muddy on this one (which i’m glad you mention in your pinned), but - again - still fascinating, and i hope it’ll make good use for the future

[@darrennew8211]

So are the plants you harvest and the germs you take drugs to destroy. If they have no consciousness, then they're just biological machines unaware of what's happening.

[@baileyjerman5573]

​@@darrennew8211 what is consciousness though?

[@NFSHeld]

This feels a bit like those chaotically swinging pendulums, where the periodic synchronicity of two seemingly random motions creates a self-stabilizing and -inducing feedback loop. Like 2 locusts next to each other randomly walking in the same direction for a brief moment slightly increases the likeliness of a third one joining etc. It's all probabilistic, so any individual can break out of the pattern again, but the more locusts around it are doing the same, the more likely it is for them to stay in sync. And in the end, there's some "critical mass" at which the vectorized sum of small probabilities in all various directions within hundreds of small groups locally exceeds 50% in one particular direction, and suddenly the whole swarm "snaps" in that direction.

[@ludwig8625]

Crazy you were there when they finally managed to observe swarm like behaviour!

[@timothymclean]

2:43: "There are huge locust-breeding facilities designed to support agriculture and food production" sounds like the premise for some kind of "science gone horribly wrong" airport novel.

[@laxor0519]

I mean....it happened with killer bees.

[@fartloudYT]

'locusts are impossible to control and can cause immeasurable damage' is a clear way for 'lets breed more of them'. Then pretend 'locusts are GOOD for you'.

[@myladycasagrande863]

​@@fartloudYT they are high in protein!

[@rohangaikwad255]

I have deep appreciation for Tom to show and tell us such scientific works in his video. Keep it up. 👏

the footage in this video was profoundly terrifying. thank you, i learned a lot.

[@mmseng2]

2:58 was really amusing, like they're getting put in little comfy chairs, ready for their pedicure.

[@kirkmason5027]

Fantastic video Tom. One thing that I wish was mentioned is that spraying huge amounts of pesticides is something that should be avoided at all costs due to the indiscriminate nature of them. Aside from a handful of problematic species, most insects provide services that are crucial for proper ecosystem functioning. This means that without insects in an area, cascading effects may occur when poisoning whole groups of animals at the base of food webs.

[@uzetaab]

An actual breakthrough caught on film. You can feel the excitement in the room. Awesome!

[@RFC-3514]

Well, caught on CMOS sensor.

[@uzetaab]

@@RFC-3514 Haha ok. Proverbial film then.

[@BabyLPS]

Tom, felicitaciones por este video, realmente te luciste

[@Taaaamas]

Never felt more uncomfortable watching a Tom Scott video, but can't stop watching it

[@bartholomewdan]

I was about to write this comment. It's surprisingly discomforting.

[@musicevangelist]

Absolutely this! Found the video fascinating but also really uncomfortable at the same time.

[@itsomegali5342]

may i ask what is exactly uncomforting ?

[@crusaderACR]

@@itsomegali5342 Because locusts are nightmare fuel. I so so want to squash them and/or run to the opposite directions across a dozen international borders.

[@holyjolias3229]

​@annihilam i sense sarcasm, but still i would like an answer to the lads question. why is that bothersome? we look into each other's body's all the time with x-rays and MRIs, why is it so weird that it can be done on the brain now?

[@WeyounSix]

This is wild and actually goes a long way to making me feel for bugs more than usual. Especially as he keeps accurately referring to them as animals. Normally we sort of think of bugs as disposable and as pests, but seeing them in such a state really starts, at least for me, to see them less as pests and more as just other living creatures. it's kinda wild.

[@Lingu42]

Awesome video! By the way, the "predator" ball at 3:44 being carefully watched by the scientists had me laughing for some reason!

[@RFC-3514]

Not many people know this, but Miley Cyrus the the locust's main natural predator.

[@Anonymus_celebrity]

This is the most interesting video in a long time, not saying the others aren't interesting, but I just loved this video

[@V77710]

Tom your videos are always so entertaining and educational..Thank you for your work

[@goodguykonrad3701]

5:16 I'm seeing a lot of dead locusts

[@panda4247]

gooood :)

[@azzor4134]

As Scott said in the video, locusts can kill other locusts so they have to march in unison or die.

[@flashcraft7412]

You’re seeing the aftermath of the great locust wars 2023-2023. Many unspeakable horrors took place when the locusts barely defeated the locusts. Truly a tragedy… 😔

[@EebstertheGreat]

I always thought the biggest locust swarms were periodical (and thus easy to predict), but apparently that's only cicadas. Around here, we have cicada broods that emerge with 13- and 17-year periods, and all of them are documented, so we always know when the next swarm in our area will arrive. For instance, my hometown has Brood V, a 17-year brood which last emerged in 2016 and will next emerge in 2033. But I guess grasshoppers just do their own thing.

[@OmarSamehTantawy]

I can really feel the passion and enthusiasm that professor Iain has. It's so inspiring to see someone who truly loves what they do!

[@Sam-Cain]

This may be the most viscerally terrifying video you've ever done, including all the dystopian/"a" future ones!

[@jackdillon7565]

At long last, we have created the Torment Nexus from classic sci-fi novel Don't Create The Torment Nexus

[@marcusadam1463]

I live on Canada, and have never experienced a locust swarm. I was amazed to discover this was a serious problem in North America in the past. Farming the breeding grounds has unintentionally ended these plagues here.

[@thefox1703]

This is really incredible stuff! I don't know which is more fascinating the Tech used for analysis or the biology(i.e., swarm intelligence of living creatures) and its potential applications.

[@lukedev82]

4:55 the locusts got so hungry they ate a bit rate

[@CeilingPanda]

This is honestly astonishing and hopefully helpful for generations to come! Amazing that you caught the time it actually showed results! Simply amazing!

[@jswets5007]

2:43 This is not "luckily enough" for anyone.

[@safaiaryu12]

Perfect Tom Scott video. Had no idea this research was happening, but OF COURSE it is. Fascinating!

[@AndiAbrudan]

I think this ethical question boils down to: if it's yucky, it has no rights.

[@PlatinumAltaria]

You're joking but that is actually how human brains categorise animals. The less related to us something is, the less likely we are to empathise with it. Coincidentally the less related, the less likely we are to want to EAT it too. So there's a sweet spot where we want to eat stuff (cows, chickens, etc.) whereas cultures often have misgivings about eating fish or bugs.

[@berserkhorimiya]

I guess Japan series is over ? it was amazing. I hope tom is able to explore it more in the future.

[@ShadowDragon8685]

The fellow with the homebuilt bicycle in the gymnasium was the last Japan one, he said it was the last one before he was leaving. Tom Scott truly is the world's most successful tourist.

[@DevinLeeGay]

"Locusts march in formation because travelling in the same direction at the same speed is the easiest way for each individual to avoid being eaten by other locusts." Feels like you could make a similar statement about humans sometimes.

[@itsmebougie]

Academia and how precise this knowledge process works is fascinating