Recently I read a pop-sci piece about uncovering the mechanisms behind how ant queens live several times longer than workers even though the two are the same species of ant. I found myself getting stuck on the term for a worker ant that converts to a queen in a time of duress, the half-shaded bar in the below figure:
After spending some time computing the various combinations of people involved in the publication process who must have had either malicious intent or ignorance of the harassment campaign by the same name, I did a little digging-- Turns out the term has an entirely different etymology and long predates 'ethics in game journalism'. Just an unfortunate coincidence.
Oh yeah the "gam" part is related to "gametes" or "monogamy" and means "marriage" or "union", and the "ergate" part is related to "ergs" and "ergonomic" and means "worker"
this is why the Gamergate Controversy was about inequitable benefits for single and married university staff
