Social Insects, Biting Bugs and a Potted History of Honey

The Naked Scientists Podcast

Dr Chris Smith

Natural Sciences, Science, Science Radio, Naked Scientists, Health & Fitness, Engineering, Medicine, Technology, Life Sciences

4.6 • 958 Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2005

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week we get bitten by the bug as Ian Burgess talks about the nasties that nibble us in the night, William Foster discusses social insects and how individuals in colonies communicate, Bee Wilson describes the useful properties of honey, and Megan Frederickson reveals how Amazonian ants use formic acid to create Devils Gardens. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Transcript

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0:00.0	Live from the BBC The Naked Scientists.
0:07.0	Well, a very good evening to you.
0:09.0	Welcome to this week's edition of The Naked Scientists with me, Dr. Chris and with Dr Cats.
0:13.4	Hello.
0:14.4	We're here this evening and under the microscope the science of insects,
0:18.4	not so much the birds and the bees, as the flees and the bees.
0:21.1	Here to help us talk about the science of insects. We have from
0:23.4	insect research and development outside Cambridge, Ian Burgess, good evening in.
0:27.0	Good evening, Chris. We have food columnist for the Sunday Telegraph,
0:30.4	writer and historian B Wilson, no pun intended, that's her real name good evening B
0:34.6	yes it is hi thank you she's going to be talking about her book the hive which is all
0:38.4	about bees not surprisingly so be warned she's coming up shortly and also coming up is William Foster from the zoology
0:45.8	department at Cambridge University. Good evening William.
0:47.8	Hello Chris.
0:48.8	So you and his expertise is all about how social insects like ants and bees work together and form
0:55.3	colonies.
0:56.3	So if you want to know anything about that, get phoning in now.
0:58.9	08459 25, 2000 or you can send me an email, Chris at Naked Scientist.com, for anything to do with insects.
1:06.6	Ian's expertise is in insects like mosquitoes that spread diseases, bed bugs, fleas, lice, what sorts of diseases because they spread?
1:14.8	How do you know if you've got bed bugs and house dusmites and horrible things in your bed?
1:18.8	Get calling out.
1:19.8	08-59-25, 2000.
	...

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