Smithsonian researcher Dale E. Greenwalt discusses how the field of paleobiology is opening up new avenues for what we know about ancient life, and the fascinating findings it’s already yielded.
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The beauty of beetles
Entomologist Arthur V. Evans joins us for a primer on the world of beetles – some 400,000 species strong – their ability to survive and their importance to ecosystems.
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Why we should love the insects we hate
Host Krys Boyd talks with behavioral ecologists about wasps and bees, and a professor of animal sentience about flies to explore all the wonderful ways their tiny minds work.
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Bugs are disappearing (and that’s not a good thing)
Oliver Milman considers the collapse of the insect world, how insects connect intrinsically to the human world, and why our planet will be in peril without them.
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The Buzz On Flies
Jonathan Balcombe is a biologist and an associate editor for the journal Animal Sentience, and he joins us to discuss the misunderstood insects that make up what we know as flies.
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The Inner Lives Of Butterflies
Journalist Wendy Williams joins us to talk about the colorful, weird and beautiful ways butterflies survive — and how they help humans live.
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Life Is Better with Bugs
John Hainze, an entomologist and ethicist with Seattle University Center for Environmental Justice and Sustainability, joins us to talk about his evolution from pesticide designer to insect advocate.
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The Study Of Venom
This hour, we’ll talk about the scientists who risk their lives studying venom – and how their research is helping to produce live-saving drugs for humans. We’ll be joined by science journalist Christie Wilcox, author of “Venomous: How Earth’s Deadliest Creatures Mastered Biochemistry.”
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How Animals Learned To Fly
This hour, we’ll talk about how these animals developed this incredible ability with David Alexander, author of “On the Wing: Insects, Pterosaurs, Birds, Bats and the Evolution of Animal Flight.”
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Bugs, Bugs & More Bugs
Hour 1: Which insects are your favorites and which ones just give you the creeps? We’ll talk this hour with science writer Amy Stewart who covers the vast world of insects in her latest book “Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon’s Army & Other Diabolical Insects” (Algonquin Books, 2011). http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/77/510036/136896132/KERA_136896132.mp3
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