Scientists dab ants with color markers to identify who is who. Ants shouldn’t mind  unless the paint has some undetected smell that ants are sensitive to. If an ant is a friend, it gives off a friendly scent. If you are dead, you give off a smell that tells other ants to dispose of you quickly, even if they are alive. Scientists have manipulated this by identifying the death scent, putting it on obviously living ants. Ant brethren identified that ant as dead and dispose of it. An ant’s version of buried alive.

I didn’t want to take all the thunder away from this series of science photos from popular science. much more amazing images here!