Join beekeeper Noah Wilson-Rich, who dives into the buzzing life of urban bees and their crucial role in our ecosystem. Biologist Karen Bondar explores the fascinating world of avian reproduction, revealing the dedicated behaviors of bird mothers. Evolutionary biologist Marlene Zuk highlights the unique mating strategies of crickets, showcasing how sounds play a pivotal role in their survival. The intertwining narratives of bees, birds, and bugs showcase the wild complexities of nature's reproductive strategies.
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Bees in Manhattan
Manoush Zomorodi visits Noah Wilson-Rich's rooftop beehives in Manhattan.
Despite the urban setting, she finds the experience calming and surprisingly bee-friendly.
insights INSIGHT
Urban Bee Havens
City rooftops provide surprising benefits for honeybees.
Plant diversity is key to their survival, exceeding what's found in rural and suburban areas.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Attract Tenants with Rooftop Beehives
Partner with Best Bees to transform your unused rooftops into thriving bee habitats.
Attract tenants with green spaces and boost your company's sustainability image.
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In 'Wild Moms', Dr. Carin Bondar takes readers on an enthralling tour of motherhood in the wild, exploring how animal mothers cope with challenges like crying babies, potty training, and caring for disabled offspring. The book offers a new perspective on the mother/child relationship across different species.
The nature of sex
Carin Bondar
This book delves into the complex and often surprising mating strategies of various animal species, highlighting the evolutionary pressures that shape these behaviors. It covers topics from seduction tactics to violent mating rituals, providing a comprehensive look at the biology of sex in the animal kingdom.
Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test
Marlene Zuk
In 'Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test', Marlene Zuk delves into the complexities of animal behavior, exploring how traits evolve through interactions between genes and the environment. The book offers insights into intelligence, mating behaviors, and disease resistance across various species, highlighting similarities with human behavior. Zuk challenges the traditional nature-versus-nurture debate by emphasizing the interplay between genetic and environmental factors.
"The birds and the bees" may be a euphemism for human reproduction, but procreation of actual winged animals is far wilder. This hour, TED speakers explore how birds, bees and bugs multiply. Guests include beekeeper Noah Wilson-Rich, biologist Carin Bondar, behavioral ecologist Marlene Zuk and comedian Julia Sweeney.
Original broadcast date: July 15, 2022.
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