Podcasts about social insects

Prof. Francis Ratnieks works at the Laboratory of Apiculture & Social Insects at the University of Sussex in England. He has been studying the recent appearance of the Ivy Bee in Ireland with great interest, he joins us from his home in Sussex to tell us about this new arrival to our shores.

Lil Dudes Insect Academy is a non-profit dedicated to teaching the world about the amazing world of Insects (Entomology). We do this through workshops, classes, courses, resources, and online content! We have a free, family-friendly Podcast where Bradon talks with Entomologists, and we also have a Bug of the Week Series on YouTube! Website: lildudesinsectacademy.com Donate to the Academy: https://www.lildudesinsectacademy.com/donate.html Find our free Podcast here: https://www.lildudesinsectacademy.com/media/podcast.html ✌️Follow us on: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lildudesinsectacademy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lil.dudes.insect.academy/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/lildudesacademy YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDJx_th0guulNsJPE_75sDg Lil Dudes Insect Academy is proud to be registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Our mission is to educate anyone and everyone about the amazing world of Entomology, which is the gateway to all the sciences. Contributions to Lil Dudes Insect Academy are tax deductible, to the extent permitted by law. Our Tax ID is: 86-1976172

On this ID the Future, Animal Algorithms author Eric Cassell explores an algorithm in the brains of harvester ants that adjusts their foraging strategy based on how available food is in their environment, thereby guiding the harvester ants toward more efficient foraging. Cassell builds off a March 2022 article in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface to explain how the algorithm in the ant's tiny brain involves a sophisticated feedback control mechanism that includes both positive and negative feedback systems. As he further notes in the episode and in an article at Evolution News, a mathematical model of the harvester ants' foraging behavior by Stanford University scientists confirms the control algorithm is largely optimized. Cassell's recent book, Animal Algorithms, Read More › Source

On today's ID the Future, radio host Hank Hanegraaff continues his conversation with Animal Algorithms author Eric Cassell. Here they look at more insects with strikingly sophisticated innate behavior, suggesting intricate algorithms encoded into their brains from birth, all of which cannot be effectively explained by reference to Darwinian evolution. Cassell and Hanegraaff touch on wasp martial arts; termite altruism and termite architectural skills, including a cooling system that has inspired a human design; interdependent social caste systems that enhance fitness; and spiderweb architecture and the extraordinary properties of spider silk, including the different kinds of silk and the spider's ability to employ different types precisely tailored for different needs. Cassell looks at evolutionary explanations for these innate abilities that Read More › Source

How do bees know how to build their hives? Insects have a wide variety of fascinating social behaviors. Where do they come from? Robert J. Marks and Eric Cassell, author of Animal Algorithms, discuss the origins of these mysterious instincts and how AI research has learned a great deal from nature. Show Notes 00:39 | Introducing Eric Cassell 01:01 |… Source

Today's ID the Future is Part 2 of a recent live webinar with Eric Cassell fielding questions about his new book, Animal Algorithms: Evolution and the Mysterious Origin of Ingenious Instincts. He and host Casey Luskin explore the engineering wonders of web-spinning spiders and their extraordinary silk, and the challenge of transforming solitary insects into social insects (with their complex and interdependent caste systems) via a blind step-by-step evolutionary process, and the many thousands of genetic changes required. What does Cassell consider the best explanation? He invokes design theorist William Dembski's work with No Free Lunch theorems to argue that blind processes are a no-go for explaining their origin. From there Luskin opens the webinar up to questions from the Read More › Source

Clint Penick is a former punk musician and the current head of Penick Lab at Kennesaw State University, where he studies social insects.

Most research on aging has been done on model organisms with limited life spans, such as flies and worms. Host Meagan Cantwell talks to science writer Yao-Hua Law about how long-living social insects—some of which survive for up to 30 years—can provide new insights into aging.  Also in this episode, host Sarah Crespi talks with Noshir Contractor, the Jane S. & William J. White Professor of Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University, about his AAAS session on keeping humans in harmony during long space missions and how mock missions on Earth are being applied to plans for a crewed mission to Mars.  This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts About the Science Podcast [Image:TerriAnneAllen/Unsplash ; Music: Jeffrey Cook] Authors: Sarah Crespi; Yao Hua Law; Meagan Cantwell See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most research on aging has been done on model organisms with limited life spans, such as flies and worms. Host Meagan Cantwell talks to science writer Yao-Hua Law about how long-living social insects—some of which survive for up to 30 years—can provide new insights into aging.  Also in this episode, host Sarah Crespi talks with Noshir Contractor, the Jane S. & William J. White Professor of Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University, about his AAAS session on keeping humans in harmony during long space missions and how mock missions on Earth are being applied to plans for a crewed mission to Mars.  This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts About the Science Podcast

Most research on aging has been done on model organisms with limited life spans, such as flies and worms. Host Meagan Cantwell talks to science writer Yao-Hua Law about how long-living social insects—some of which survive for up to 30 years—can provide new insights into aging.  Also in this episode, host Sarah Crespi talks with Noshir Contractor, the Jane S. & William J. White Professor of Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University, about his AAAS session on keeping humans in harmony during long space missions and how mock missions on Earth are being applied to plans for a crewed mission to Mars.  This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts About the Science Podcast [Image:TerriAnneAllen/Unsplash ; Music: Jeffrey Cook] Authors: Sarah Crespi; Yao Hua Law; Meagan Cantwell See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

They're everywhere, even the trees. Petr Klimes researches the ecological roles of insects, especially ants in Papa New Guinea, where many species are less accessible for research. He shares interesting ant facts and tales along with questions he's pursing. Listen and learn How, despite both being social insects, ants interact with their food and world in much more diverse ways than their bee cousins,  What interesting examples of parasitism, symbiosis, and mutualism exist in ant species, and What next steps Petr Klimes plans to take by researching how ants are responding to climate change and different habitat types available. Petr Klimes is the laboratory head of the Laboratory of Ecology and Evolution of Social Insects with the University of South Bohemia Biology Centre CAS. He's interested in ants that live in tropical trees and spread across the islands in the pacific, specifically their evolution and interaction with plants and other animals. One remarkable aspect of ants' life cycles and habits is the vast diversity among different species. Unlike bees, which are exclusively pollinators, or wasps, which are predators, ant interactions vary widely. Some are predators, some are omnivores. Some ant colony structures include more than one ant queen and some don't. Some are highly specialized in food and nest choice and some are opportunistic, eating whatever and living where ever is available. Petr Klimes spent time in Papa New Guinea comparing ground and arboreal ants. Ground ants are mostly predators, but tree ants tend to work with other insects like aphids. He shares many fascinating examples of ant interactions, from parasitism to symbiotic relationships with plants or other insects like aphids. Unlike ant species in the U.S., which look fairly similar to each other, the morphology in the tropics is extreme. One species, for example, lives in leaf litter and is about 1 millimeter long, has triangle-shaped "hats" and predates with sharp mandibles, eating tiny, fast-moving insects. In Borneo, another large species lives in trees and are dimorphic, with large soldiers and small foragers. He hopes to embark on a new project soon to study species interaction and biology in terms of how climate change and forest change is influencing ant communities.  For more, see his lab's website: antscience.com. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

What is flying ant day? What are they up to? In this episode, Tom is joined by Miles Maxcer, myrmecologist and director of The Ant Network to discuss the phenomenon of Flying Ant Day, and the fascinating science behind it. We discuss the life cycle of an ant colony, and look at some of the  ways different species of ant found and develop their colonies.  

Evidence for Russian Covid-19 vaccine espionage, whether minicabs spread coronavirus infection, whether Covid-19 can cling to a library book, how to spot a male ant, can birds carry Covid-19, why vaccines take so long to make, and what causes my heart to suddenly begin to race? Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Evidence for Russian Covid-19 vaccine espionage, whether minicabs spread coronavirus infection, whether Covid-19 can cling to a library book, how to spot a male ant, can birds carry Covid-19, why vaccines take so long to make, and what causes my heart to suddenly begin to race? Join Dr Chris Smith and 567 CapeTalk's Kieno Kammies to find out... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

 What makes an insect social? Find out from a man who has spent A LOT of time studying such creatures. On this week's show I spoke with biologist, broadcaster & author, Professor Adam Hart. Adam's career has taken him around the world studying all kinds of animals, however, we promised each other a chat about bugs. From being in the field himself to setting up an active data study, The Big Wasp Survey (@bigwaspsurvey), Adam has dedicated a large chunk of his career in researching the creepy crawlies that many out there would not like to be around. If you're a fan of Ants, Wasps & Bees, this show is for you! If you'd like to keep up to date with Adam's projects & shows, you can do so by following him on Twitter & Instagram, @AdamHartScience. Thanks for tuning in & enjoy the show!

The mathematical biologist Corina Tarnita explains to host Steven Strogatz how quantitative modeling solved the mystery of fairy circles. The post Corina Tarnita and the Deep Mathematics of Social Insects first appeared on Quanta Magazine. The post Corina Tarnita and the Deep Mathematics of Social Insects first appeared on Quanta Magazine

And now, the end is near. Music 'Over and Over' by Jet Pin Army

This month, doctors doing U-turns: the medical practices without much evidence to prop them up, wind-tunnel experiments reveal how geese fly at extreme altitudes, why mating makes bees go blind, stress remodelling the brain's myelin, and what goes on during a stint aboard the International Space Station? Join Chris Smith for a look inside the latest papers in eLife... Get the references and the transcripts for this programme from the Naked Scientists website

This month, doctors doing U-turns: the medical practices without much evidence to prop them up, wind-tunnel experiments reveal how geese fly at extreme altitudes, why mating makes bees go blind, stress remodelling the brain's myelin, and what goes on during a stint aboard the International Space Station? Join Chris Smith for a look inside the latest papers in eLife... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, doctors doing U-turns: the medical practices without much evidence to prop them up, wind-tunnel experiments reveal how geese fly at extreme altitudes, why mating makes bees go blind, stress remodelling the brain's myelin, and what goes on during a stint aboard the International Space Station? Join Chris Smith for a look inside the latest papers in eLife... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, doctors doing U-turns: the medical practices without much evidence to prop them up, wind-tunnel experiments reveal how geese fly at extreme altitudes, why mating makes bees go blind, stress remodelling the brain's myelin, and what goes on during a stint aboard the International Space Station? Join Chris Smith for a look inside the latest papers in eLife... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month, doctors doing U-turns: the medical practices without much evidence to prop them up, wind-tunnel experiments reveal how geese fly at extreme altitudes, why mating makes bees go blind, stress remodelling the brain's myelin, and what goes on during a stint aboard the International Space Station? Join Chris Smith for a look inside the latest papers in eLife... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how members of the same species send each other invisible chemical signals to influence the way they behave. Pheromones are used by species across the animal kingdom in a variety of ways, such as laying trails to be followed, to raise the alarm, to scatter from predators, to signal dominance and to enhance attractiveness and, in honey bees, even direct development into queen or worker. The image above is of male and female ladybirds that have clustered together in response to pheromones. With Tristram Wyatt Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford Jane Hurst William Prescott Professor of Animal Science at the University of Liverpool and Francis Ratnieks Professor of Apiculture and Head of the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects at the University of Sussex Producer: Simon Tillotson

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss how members of the same species send each other invisible chemical signals to influence the way they behave. Pheromones are used by species across the animal kingdom in a variety of ways, such as laying trails to be followed, to raise the alarm, to scatter from predators, to signal dominance and to enhance attractiveness and, in honey bees, even direct development into queen or worker. The image above is of male and female ladybirds that have clustered together in response to pheromones. With Tristram Wyatt Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford Jane Hurst William Prescott Professor of Animal Science at the University of Liverpool and Francis Ratnieks Professor of Apiculture and Head of the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects at the University of Sussex Producer: Simon Tillotson

What do crisis management for the acutely mentally ill and beekeeping have in common? More than you would think! In this episode I chat with Portland beekeeper & social worker Rachel Phariss. She has been working with bees for 4 years and has had some hilarious adventures along the way. For episode notes, visit Mandy's blog at https://www.waggleworkspdx.com/blog Follow us on Instagram and Facebook!  Cover art by Meggyn Pomerleau Produced in part by Maxwell Monty Sound effects obtained from https://www.zapsplat.com      

This month we're exploring the science of our senses. So far we've heard how our ears work, looked the visual system in the eye, and this week, we're getting our teeth into the science of taste. Plus news of a discovery that could re-write the story of human origins, how some antibiotics can also block viruses, and how ants keep infections at bay in their colonies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

This month we're exploring the science of our senses. So far we've heard how our ears work, looked the visual system in the eye, and this week, we're getting our teeth into the science of taste. Plus news of a discovery that could re-write the story of human origins, how some antibiotics can also block viruses, and how ants keep infections at bay in their colonies. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Dr. Joan Strassmann is the Charles Rebstock Professor of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her PhD from The University of Texas at Austin. Joan was a member of the faculty of Rice University for over 30 years before joining the Biology Department at Washington University where she remains today. Joan has a long-standing interest in science education and Joan has received many awards and honors during her career. She is also a former President of the Animal Behavior Society and former President of the North American Section of the International Union for the Study of Social Insects. In addition, She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the Animal Behavior Society, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial fellowship. Joan is with us today to tell us all about her journey through life and science.

Two topics, for one low low price! Music “A Little Bit More” By Uncle Seth

Our resident entomology expert Heather Campbell brings us another Insect Minute. This week’s topic: social insects.

Two lectures for the price of one!!! Music "Heavy in Step" by Faraway Neighbors

The science of social species goes under the microscope this week. We hear what radio-tagging individual ants is revealing about the way they organise their nests to decide who goes hunting and who stays at home. Meera explores the growth of urban apiculture, including why city-made honey tastes superior to its countryside equivalent, we find out how bees encountering hostility use a stop signal to deter their fellow foragers from befalling the same fate, and in Kitchen Science we explore the physics of flight to see how bees stay airborne. Plus why not cleaning your teeth could cause a heart... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

The science of social species goes under the microscope this week. We hear what radio-tagging individual ants is revealing about the way they organise their nests to decide who goes hunting and who stays at home. Meera explores the growth of urban apiculture, including why city-made honey tastes superior to its countryside equivalent, we find out how bees encountering hostility use a stop signal to deter their fellow foragers from befalling the same fate, and in Kitchen Science we explore the physics of flight to see how bees stay airborne. Plus why not cleaning your teeth could cause a heart... Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Scratching the itch of curiosity this week is William Foster, who will be talking about the evolution of social insects and his quest for social beetles in Thailand, Claire Rind flies in the face of current car safety technologies by using knowledge of collision avoidance in locusts, Matt Shardlow discusses how man-made wastelands can be a haven for rare invertebrates, and Derek Thorne joins Ed Turner in the garden to discover how to make pitfall traps.

Scratching the itch of curiosity this week is William Foster, who will be talking about the evolution of social insects and his quest for social beetles in Thailand, Claire Rind flies in the face of current car safety technologies by using knowledge of collision avoidance in locusts, Matt Shardlow discusses how man-made wastelands can be a haven for rare invertebrates, and Derek Thorne joins Ed Turner in the garden to discover how to make pitfall traps. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

Scratching the itch of curiosity this week is William Foster, who will be talking about the evolution of social insects and his quest for social beetles in Thailand, Claire Rind flies in the face of current car safety technologies by using knowledge of collision avoidance in locusts, Matt Shardlow discusses how man-made wastelands can be a haven for rare invertebrates, and Derek Thorne joins Ed Turner in the garden to discover how to make pitfall traps. Like this podcast? Please help us by supporting the Naked Scientists

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

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