As human teams get bigger, they get less efficient. But these ants have found a solution

By Chris R. Reid, ARC Future Fellow, Behavioural Ecology, Macquarie University
Daniele Carlesso, Postdoctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Have you ever been part of a large group project? You might assume that with more people involved, the work gets done better and faster.

However, as more team members join the group, the effectiveness of each individual doesn’t increase. It doesn’t even stay constant – it gets worse. Many hands may make light work, but too many cooks spoil the broth.

This paradox is known as the Ringelmann effect, named after French engineer Max Ringelmann who discovered it in the late 19th century.…

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