There are an estimated 10 quintillion insects living on the planet right now-- That's 1.4 billion insects for each human. If they decided to take over, there's nothing we could do to stop them. Fortunately, they seem relatively content to share their planet with us.
And it's a good thing they are: Everything from the food we eat, to the clothes we wear to our ability to dispose of trash is in some way dependent on insects. This hour, we talk insect science and explore our relationship with this diverse group of creatures.
GUESTS:
- Dr. David Wagner - Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Director of the Center for Conservation and Biodiversity at UCONN
- Dr. Nicole Palffy-Muhoray - Entomology Assistant at Yale’s Peabody Museum in New Haven, CT
- David Macneal - Journalist and contributor for Wired, Vice and other publications; author of Bugged: The Insects Who Rule The World and the People Obsessed With Them
- Amy Stewart - Nature and science writer and lecturer; author of Wicked Bugs, which was just released in a new edition for young readers
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.