There are some really interesting features in some of the constructs of mound-building termites (Macrotermes spp.) Air flow, thermal control, and water manage

There are some really interesting features in some of the constructs of mound-building termites (Macrotermes spp.) Air flow, thermal control, and water management have been the subjects of some research; it's clearly a fertile area for cross-discipline cooperation by human researchers. Whatever one makes of the mental capacity of these individual eusocial animals (they're not too bright; you can lure them into termite windmills), collectively they substantially alter their local environment to their benefit. There are whole valleys full of mounds rising a couple of metres above ground level in places where they are endemic: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/79/d5/55/magnetic-termite-mounds.jpg https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/06/79/d5/55/... https://www.experiencethewild.com.au/Images/CathMound-300-PM.jpg https://www.experiencethewild.com.au/Images/CathMound-300-PM... and here's a a whole mess of such mounds in a field: https://photos.travelblog.org/Photos/87121/530935/f/5448597-Magnetic_Termite_Mounds-0.jpg https://photos.travelblog.org/Photos/87121/530935/f/5448597-... That's a lot of biomass with a lot of total neurons, and even though aren't as tightly coupled as the ones in our skulls, they still manage to coordinate a lot of constructive activity. I think it's reasonable to wonder if culture and aesthetics emerge as termite numbers grow large.