Did you know that the total weight of ants exceeds that of humans? And that, despite their profusion in an anthill, no ant ever collides with another? That they have developed unrivalled systems of health, work, agriculture and defence? That an ant can carry up to sixty times its own weight, that the male ant dies of exhaustion after making love, and that there are kamikaze ants? That the queen manages the balance of her colony using a spermatheca, and that observation of ants has led to the development of the algorithms and artificial intelligence we use every day?

This highly instructive, slightly educational and totally offbeat talk, which two renowned myrmecologist specialists are preparing to give you today, will inevitably change your perception of the tiny insect that is the ant. After this, you'll no longer be able to target a colony of ants that has taken up residence in your kitchen with a spray can. And you'll never again walk past an anthill with that disdainful pout, trying to flick away the few ants slithering between the hairs on your forearm.

The show “Nos fourmis” by Philippe Soltermann and Mali van Valenberg is presented as part of the Culture on Tour project supported by the Local Council.