(WWJ) – Here in Michigan, especially in the summer, it’s not uncommon to see ants. If it feels like they’re everywhere, you’re not wrong.
They can be found anywhere, from the dirt to your kitchen after something sticky was spilled. You may even see them flying through the air. With a true hierarchy structure going down from a queen to the male drones, ants are a structured, resilient bunch. But beyond resiliency, they’re extremely prolific. If ants wanted to take over the world, they certainly have the numbers to do it.
A new scientific study released on Tuesday estimates there are about 20 quadrillion ants on Earth. That’s 20,000,000,000,000,000, for an astonishing reference. In a new Daily J, WWJ’s Zach Clark tries to wrap his head around that number and get to the bottom of how ants have essentially taken over the world.