Something You Should Know Why You Owe Your Life to Bugs & The Fascinating Rise of the Emoji
30 snips
Jul 10, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Karyn Light-Gibson, an educator and author, reveals how insects are essential to our ecosystem, acting as the backbone of food production. Meanwhile, Keith Houston, author of a book on emoji history, dives into the evolution of these digital icons, explaining how their meanings can change based on context and usage. Together, they explore the fascinating interconnectedness of bugs and modern communication, highlighting how both shape our world in unexpected ways.
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Correct Use of Bring/Take and Farther/Further
- Use bring when moving something toward you and take when moving something away from you.
- Distinguish farther for physical distance and further for metaphorical extension or degree.
Bugs Rule Our World—Without Them We'd Be Buried in Trash and Starving
Insects are the foundation of life on Earth, with about 1.4 billion bugs for every human being. They play crucial roles such as pollinating 75% of the food we eat and breaking down dead matter as nature's primary decomposers.
Without insects, humans might survive only about six months due to the collapse of food chains and buildup of waste. While some bugs like mosquitoes pose health risks, they are still vital food sources for animals such as bats.
Dragonflies exemplify the fascinating complexity of bugs, serving as top aquatic and terrestrial predators and indicators of healthy water. The diversity and importance of insects like bees, flies, and wasps are essential to maintaining ecosystems and human food supplies.
Bugs Are Essential for Life
- Insects form the base of the food chain and pollinate about 75% of the food we eat.
- They are crucial decomposers preventing trash accumulation and supporting all life.