Joe Wilson: Creating a children's book and effective science communication
This week on the podcast I'm talking with Joe Wilson, associate professor of biology at Utah State University. The very same Joe Wilson who you likely know from The Bees in Your Backyard – the guide to North American bees, the website and the prolific social media presence.
He and illustrator Jonny VanOrman have just published a brand new children's book called Bees are the Best. It's a whimsical little tale about discovering the diversity of bees in the world. And while Joe and I talk about creating the book itself, we also explore what goes into effective science communication.
Here is our conversation. Enjoy!
The Bee Report Podcast is available on all major podcasting platforms such as Apple and Spotify.
Also, I hope everyone is doing well in this time of Covid-19 and social distancing. Be good to yourself. Keep caring for your family, friends and neighbors. And let’s support the doctors, nurses, first responders and all the other front-line workers in every way we can. Kudos and many thanks to the labs that are donating protective gear!
From @JacquelynGill on Twitter: "Today, I collected and catalogued 720 units (some boxes or cases) contributed by labs in over 15 departments at @UMaine, for a COVID-19 PPE drive. Gloves, masks, face shields, and Tyvek suits are ready to be deployed to area healthcare facilities!"
Do you have tips, comments, questions or ideas for collaboration? Please send them to tbr@bymattkelly.com.
Conservation
AI analysis suggests we're getting better at wildlife conservation
(EurekAlert) Researchers from the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Microsoft are using a kind of machine learning known as sentiment analysis to assess the successes and failures of wildlife conservation over time. In their study, the researchers assessed the abstracts of more than 4,000 studies of species reintroduction across four decades and found that, generally speaking, we're getting better and better at reintroducing species to the wild. They say that machine learning could be used in this field and others to identify the best techniques and solutions from among the ever-growing volume of scientific research.
Economics
What motivates sales of pollinator-friendly plants?
(EurekAlert/American Society for Horticultural Science) An analysis out of the University of Georgia details the relationship between consumer awareness and the attentiveness and care given to pollinator-friendly plant purchases. The results show that information from the federal government, nursery/greenhouse industry associations, and environmental activist groups has the same impact on self-reported future pollinator-friendly plant purchasing as the no-information group. Only information from universities and major media outlets reportedly drives changes in consumer behavior.
Rain provides lifeline for honey producer after drought and bushfires
(ABC) After months of prolonged drought, followed by devastating bushfires, vital rain has rescued an Australian farmer's honey production after a barren 2019. But just like the wine industry is dealing with grapes affected by smoke taint, there is expected to be a flavor impact on honey as well.
Science
How ‘undertaker’ bees recognize dead comrades
(Science) They’re the undertakers of the honey bee world: a class of workers that scours the hive for dead comrades, finding them in the dark in as little as 30 minutes, despite the fact that the deceased haven’t begun to give off the typical odors of decay. A new study may reveal how they do it.
eDNA provides researchers with ‘more than meets the eye’
(Curtin University) Researchers from Curtin University have used next generation DNA sequencing to learn more about the different species of plants, insects and animals present in the Pilbara and Perth regions of Western Australia. As animals and organisms interact with their environment, they leave behind traces of their DNA through things like droppings, skin cells, saliva, and pollen. “This study was the first of its kind to systematically test terrestrial substrates for eDNA, and it also was the first time that some of these particular substrates were analyzed."
Climatic-niche evolution strikingly similar in plants and animals
(EurekAlert/Chinese Academy of Science Headquarters) Climatic niches describe where species can occur and are essential to determining how they will respond to climate change. Given the fundamental biological differences in plants and animals, previous research proposed that plants may have broader environmental tolerances than animals but are more sensitive to climate. However, a recent study has found that there are actually "general rules" of climatic-niche evolution that span plants and animals. "This is extremely important, because it warns us to pay more attention to the high extinction risks for both plant and animal species, if we cannot slow down climatic changes caused by humans."
“Thermometer” protein regulates blooming
(CNRS) As average temperatures rise every year, it is no longer rare to see plants flower as early as February. Behind this phenomenon is a complex of proteins whose activity is controlled by temperature changes.
Technology
Scientists transform ultra-tough pollen into flexible material
(EurekAlert/Nanyang Technological University) Scientists at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore have found a way to turn pollen, one of the hardest materials in the plant kingdom, into a soft and flexible material, with the potential to serve as "building blocks" for the design of new categories of eco-friendly materials.
One More Thing…
Here’s a little gem from the Scientific American archives: Genetically engineering the perfect bee – in 1892.
"It is said that there are at least two distinct races of stingless bees in South America, but these races have not much value as honey gatherers, and moreover they build combs with very thick-walled cells, and probably they would not be worth cultivating as compared with the European, Asiatic and African races. But if we can cross our bees with the giant bees of India and obtain a race with a long proboscis and perhaps increased size (if that should prove to be of any advantage), and cross this improved race with the South American stingless bees, we shall then have a race of bees which it will be difficult to improve."
Scientific American has posted a whole bunch of these snapshots from their first 175 years on their anniversary page. A few other historical headlines that caught my eye:
• Giving babies solid food is illegal in France
• Test proves blood on murder weapon was fruit preserves
• Martians get their water from the poles
• Small jets of air make cats neurotic