Ants in Rheometer (IMAGE) Georgia Institute of Technology Caption Ants were sheared in a rheometer, a machine used to test the solid-like and liquid-like response of materials such as food, hand cream or melted plastic.The researchers found that the behavior of live ants was similar to that of dead ants: when the aggregation is forced to flow, live ants let go and play dead. In this case, the viscosity dramatically decreased as the speed increased. Credit Georgia Tech Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.