1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, you're welcome to stuff to blow 3 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: your mind. My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas. Julie. 4 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: What is it with the with the bees versus the wasp? Uh? 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,320 Speaker 1: We we talked about this twice on our Facebook page 6 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,880 Speaker 1: to blow the mind on Facebook, find it that way 7 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,880 Speaker 1: and interact and share your own thoughts on this. But 8 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: if we brought up bees versus wasp twice uh and 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 1: basically just asked for people's gut reaction, like who are 10 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: you gonna side with? And this this classic rivalry between 11 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: the the wasps and their stingers and their nests and 12 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:48,080 Speaker 1: their stingers and then the bees with their hives and 13 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: their honey and their their fancy culture, Like which which 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: side do you you go for? And and everyone seems 15 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: to go for the bees. I mean right, I'm probing. 16 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 1: It's not just because I'm a lady and I'm like, oh, 17 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: they're so cute and fuzzy, but they're going yeah, but 18 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: they do get buying cute, you have to admit, yes 19 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:06,479 Speaker 1: they are. Whereas the wasp. I'm actually pro wasp because 20 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: even though they tried to kill my sister. They are sleek. 21 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: Um they are they are deadly. They have this like 22 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,280 Speaker 1: totally sci fi horror book kind of lifestyle going on. 23 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: Um so they really speak to the nine year old 24 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: in me. Um and uh yeah. So I'm gonna side 25 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: with the wasp every time, I think, even though there 26 00:01:25,959 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: is no such thing as delicious wasp honey. Uh and 27 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: and I can't think of a single wasp cartoon character, 28 00:01:32,800 --> 00:01:36,320 Speaker 1: whereas cartoon bees, they're everywhere. They're stinging Donald Duck there. 29 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,280 Speaker 1: You know, they're they're the centerpiece of whole motion pictures. 30 00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, I don't know. I mean yet they are 31 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: you sometimes as sports mascots, right, which makes sense because 32 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:51,480 Speaker 1: they are aggressive jerks. Well that's the thing you want 33 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: to you want your your mask got to be an 34 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: aggressive jersey. I mean, you don't want to be a 35 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: big fuzzy bumble bee. Fuzzy bumble bee. It's like the 36 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:01,840 Speaker 1: Cleveland Bumblebees. They're gonna becoming the whole audience starts going 37 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 1: which and that's not menacing at all. Right, we might 38 00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: sting you, but we'll eviscerate ourselves in the process, I mean, 39 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 1: which we'll get into later. It's it's just not as 40 00:02:10,160 --> 00:02:13,840 Speaker 1: as as fearful a prospect as the wasps coming at 41 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: you know. But it's interesting to look at these creatures 42 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: side by side because they have a shared history. Yeah, 43 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 1: it's not just an arbitrary pairing, like what would win 44 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: in a fight a grizzly bearer a bull shark. I mean, 45 00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:30,960 Speaker 1: these two species share a common history and evolved from 46 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: a common form in the far far far ancient past. 47 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,160 Speaker 1: If you were to go back about a hundred million 48 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: years back to the Cretaceous period, you would find a 49 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: very interesting world. A very green world, all right, if 50 00:02:44,480 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: you call it. Take us back. Yeah, it's a very 51 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,280 Speaker 1: green world. But there you know, you're not gonna find 52 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: You're not gonna find any flowering plants. It's occupied mostly 53 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,920 Speaker 1: by conifers. So we have a lot of pine cones, 54 00:02:55,960 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: a lot of pine cones, of greenery, a lot of greenery. 55 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 1: And the whole way that these plants that spread their 56 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: seeds are via the wind um or you know, or 57 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 1: just sort of letting them fall and letting them just 58 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 1: casting the dice and let them go where they will. 59 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,120 Speaker 1: So on top of this green world, you already have 60 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,519 Speaker 1: a thriving insect community things. I mean, just like like 61 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: the insect world is today, it's just a NonStop brawl 62 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:25,919 Speaker 1: of species eating each other, um, you know, mating with 63 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:29,120 Speaker 1: each other, warring against each other, forming these little uh 64 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: you know, hives and nests. It's it's already the original 65 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: brave hearts. Yes, and you have carnivorous wasps in this time. 66 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 1: And these these are wasps that are going around they're 67 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: hunting generally, they're hunting spiders, and spiders remain another classic 68 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:47,480 Speaker 1: enemy of the wasp. Uh, the kind of kind of 69 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: the whipping boy for the wasp really. Um, and these 70 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: waspers are pretty much owning everything like that. They're just 71 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: going around there eating what they need and their and there, 72 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 1: and they're using the meat that they gather to feed 73 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: their their young. It's a you know, it's a perfect world, right, 74 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: Like what what could change? M You see pine cones, 75 00:04:05,440 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: no flowers, oh those romancers the flowers, right, the flowers emerge. 76 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: And basically the idea here is that I'm gonna probably 77 00:04:14,320 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: inevitably personify evolution a little bit here. We're going to 78 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: do that a bit here. So you have this plant world, 79 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 1: you have all these insects warring each other on its surface. 80 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: The plants eventually come to exploit all that traffic. You 81 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,280 Speaker 1: need to get some genetic material from plant A to 82 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: plant B. Say, well, let's put it on the back 83 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:34,760 Speaker 1: of this, uh, this creature that is waging a war 84 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:37,600 Speaker 1: across several different plants. So what we have here is 85 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: the rise of the angiosperms, plants that depend on insects 86 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: to spread genetic material and pollen from male up plant 87 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: parts called anthers to female plant parts called stigmas. Okay, 88 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: so uh, they start to they start producing this delicious 89 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: nectar and pollen uh, and sweetens the deal for the insects, 90 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: and it gives them specific reasons to traffic the parts 91 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: of plants where Holland is produced because now they have 92 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: a food source. Yeah, and so suddenly these wasps who 93 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: were all into you know, they're killing and brutalizing and 94 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: they're eating and the spiders. Suddenly there's all this sweet 95 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 1: duff food stuff available right there, and it's easier to get. 96 00:05:14,200 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: It's just there for the taking. It's dripping you know, 97 00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: off the off the flour. You don't have to engage 98 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: in Mortal Kombat with an eight legged horror to get it, 99 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,200 Speaker 1: so it becomes the predominant food source for the wasp, 100 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: and the carnivorous wasp, the wasp that goes out and 101 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: kills and eats another animal that steadily fades away, and 102 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:39,800 Speaker 1: the wasp that emerges the kind of the and there, 103 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: of course thousands of different types of wasp, but but 104 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: this strain of wasp that remains with us today. They 105 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 1: do not eat other insects. No, they don't. They don't. 106 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 1: They've completely removed it from their diet. What they do 107 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,480 Speaker 1: eat is the the nectar and carrying the pollen from 108 00:05:57,520 --> 00:06:00,279 Speaker 1: plant to plant. But the kids are a different store, Yeah, 109 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:01,640 Speaker 1: the kids, and we'll get to that in a bit. 110 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: So what we have evolving from this is basically bees. Right, 111 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: So we've got bees and wasps because bees now are 112 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: a bit different from wasps, but they're coming from the 113 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: same genetic material, right, bees and wasps are both both 114 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: of them share a common descendant in these carniverse. Wasps. Yeah, 115 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,000 Speaker 1: and youve got these bees who are sort of hipped 116 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: to the whole flower gig, right, because they're like, okay, 117 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: let's let's start really exploring this in earnest or being 118 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,640 Speaker 1: exploited by flowers and earniest depending on who you look 119 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: at it. And you get these these uh bees versus 120 00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 1: wasps where we are right now? Yeah, and of course 121 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,119 Speaker 1: this this leads to a difference in their body types. 122 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: To write, one has the body of befager and one 123 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 1: has the body of a predator. Because we're gonna get 124 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:45,800 Speaker 1: into this a little more, but it's essential to to 125 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: note that even though the the wasp no longer eats 126 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: prey itself, it still has to hunt prey to feed 127 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: it's young. It's kind of yeah, you have this a 128 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,480 Speaker 1: great article on this how wasps were and I think 129 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:02,799 Speaker 1: you're what was the analogy of the vegan parents bringing 130 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:05,720 Speaker 1: home a pepperoni pizza for their young ones because they 131 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: refused to eat anything else. Yeah, it's kind of like that, which, 132 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: uh they never quite that. The wasp world never was 133 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: able to completely remove meat from its diet, whereas the 134 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:21,680 Speaker 1: bees do. Okay, I see that's where all this the 135 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: like a tree hugging vegetarian type of lovey dovey bee 136 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: comes in, right exactly. It's the bees are more of 137 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:33,200 Speaker 1: a tree hugger. And then the wasps are out there killings. 138 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: They're out there you know, harvesting their meat. Even though 139 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 1: they're not gonna need it themselves, they need it for 140 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 1: they're young. So the wasp has to has to retain 141 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: the body of a killer. It has to sleep design 142 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: um stinger that's that that has some generally has some 143 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: sort of powerful venom involved. The beat is this kind 144 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: of fat, doughy guy with I think rotund instead of 145 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 1: fat and hairy with bristly flat legs. Those are good 146 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: for gathering honey. And of course, as you said, the 147 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: wasp havethers, thin waist, and they're very sleek and they've 148 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: got smooth shettles. And then if you look at these two, 149 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: they've got um and and whilst they have ovipositors to yes, 150 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: no ova positor is pretty interesting. Of course, only the 151 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:21,080 Speaker 1: females have this because it is avi for overm over 152 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: eggs exactly. It is an instrument for the laying of eggs. 153 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: So travel back againto that carnivorous wasp. How's it depositing? 154 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: It needs to deposit eggs with that oppositive, but where 155 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 1: is it gonna put it? It started laying eggs on 156 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 1: other creatures, so it's it's like, now I'm going to 157 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: lay eggs on you. Yeah, right, okay, And eventually they 158 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: were like, well, laying laying my young on a caterpillar 159 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: is one thing, but I want them to I want 160 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: them to stay warm, I want them to have a 161 00:08:50,000 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: nice meal when they wake up. I'm gonna to lay 162 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 1: them inside the caterpillar. Now, of course, the wasp doesn't 163 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:57,040 Speaker 1: ask the caterpillar what it thinks of this. Uh, it 164 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,440 Speaker 1: just starts doing it. So the ovipositor become not only 165 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:02,880 Speaker 1: an instrument to lay eggs, it becomes a surgical instrument 166 00:09:03,280 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: for the implantation of eggs inside the body of another insect. Right, 167 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:11,440 Speaker 1: this ovipositor is is literally like a blade, right right, 168 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: it's it's fashion like this just so that it can 169 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,559 Speaker 1: do that, right, And and then they begin to evolve 170 00:09:16,600 --> 00:09:20,520 Speaker 1: these different chemicals, you know, because you're performing this crude 171 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:23,680 Speaker 1: surgery in the insect world to lay your eggs inside 172 00:09:23,720 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: this caterpillar. You know, the caligory baby moving around a 173 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: little too much. So uh so, yeah, they begin to 174 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:32,000 Speaker 1: develop venoms as well. They end up paralyzing the prey 175 00:09:32,559 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: or or in in some way impacting it to facilitate 176 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: the surgery. So wasps continue to use this in many cases. 177 00:09:41,640 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 1: There are plenty of parasitic wasps today, as we'll get into, 178 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:48,920 Speaker 1: that still lay their eggs inside or on other animals. 179 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: Then there are other they're they're ones that don't they're 180 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,760 Speaker 1: ones that that build nests, lay their their eggs in there, 181 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 1: and then bring the food back for they're young. And 182 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: we're talking about whilest talking start in generalities because do 183 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: recall that it's like species for both bees and loss. 184 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: There's a ton of them, and they all have a 185 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:10,439 Speaker 1: little bit different uh behavior to them or um a 186 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: bit you know, this and that going on in times 187 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:15,439 Speaker 1: of where they lay, where they lay eggs, and what 188 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,120 Speaker 1: they do. And these are even further removed from the 189 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:21,880 Speaker 1: prospect of laying eggs inside another creature, but they still 190 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 1: have the oppositor, the stinger, and it retains the sting 191 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,200 Speaker 1: uh they have. They have kept that because it ends 192 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: up being very useful as a defensive weapon. And we're 193 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:32,880 Speaker 1: gonna talk about weapons in a moment here after the break, 194 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: we're gonna talk about some brawling, right so the battle 195 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 1: continue right after this. This podcast is brought to you 196 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: by Intel, the sponsors of Tomorrow and the Discovery Channel 197 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:48,080 Speaker 1: at Intel we believe curiosity is the spark which drives innovation. 198 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: Join us at curiosity dot com and explore the answers 199 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:58,599 Speaker 1: to life's questions. And we're back. We we rejoined the 200 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,319 Speaker 1: battle between bees and all right, we've talked about the 201 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: oppositor and stinging. Let's talk about the big sting. The sting. Yeah, 202 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,280 Speaker 1: what happens here? Do they all of them die after 203 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 1: they sting you? Just some of them? Oh? Well, of course, 204 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: wasps generally can can stain multiple yeah, over and over again. 205 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: They've got smooth stingers. But the one that I'm thinking 206 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 1: about is the honey bee stinger, which is actually barbed 207 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:25,599 Speaker 1: and it sticks in your flesh. Um, And when the 208 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: honey bee tries actually fly away, her stinger won't budge. 209 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: So it's very sad. Actually, um, it RiPPs from her 210 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: body and essentially disembowels her when it stings human. Now, 211 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,880 Speaker 1: there's some sometimes they can use these against other insects, 212 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: and it not if this rate the user, because it's 213 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: not getting stuck in there. Yeah, but but in humans, Yeah, 214 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: that's always the thing. It's like the the honey beetle 215 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: stingy once and then it did die. Stinging, which I 216 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: think also adds to It's like, oh, it's stung me, 217 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,079 Speaker 1: but it died, so I can't hate it. Where's the 218 00:11:53,120 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: wasp comes along? There's no bar. The wasp can sting 219 00:11:55,679 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 1: you all day and it doesn't care for the be 220 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,199 Speaker 1: It's sort of like a noble death. Is that we're Yeah, 221 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,199 Speaker 1: it's like a noble desk in the wasp, Like, I 222 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,400 Speaker 1: use this all the time. I'll sing again. Can we 223 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: do this again tomorrow eight am? You know, yeah, we'll 224 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 1: set a day. I like the little voice you're doing 225 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: for the wasp pair. I I know I should be 226 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:15,199 Speaker 1: able to do more of an Italian like, you know, 227 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:17,679 Speaker 1: stereotypical thug kind of a thing. Yeah. I don't know 228 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 1: what you were going there now. It's uh. It's interesting 229 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: to note that even though the honey base this is 230 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,920 Speaker 1: something I found in Tracy V. Wilson's article Pies on 231 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,520 Speaker 1: the website, the males don't have stingers that break off 232 00:12:29,559 --> 00:12:32,679 Speaker 1: in people's flesh, but they do have endo fouls's uh. 233 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:36,040 Speaker 1: When they mate with the female honeybees, it breaks off 234 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,439 Speaker 1: inside the female's body, with the queen, of course, fatally 235 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,439 Speaker 1: injuring the mail in the process. So oh yeah, We've 236 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: talked about this before too, and in another podcast about 237 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:49,520 Speaker 1: this sort of very scary proposition sometimes of mating in 238 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: the insect world, decapitation and all sorts of fun stuff. Yeah, 239 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:55,440 Speaker 1: wasp and bees. When we're talking about the war here, 240 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: we're talking about a war between females, because the females 241 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:01,319 Speaker 1: are the species and the male are just there to 242 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,000 Speaker 1: facilitate mating. And in some cases I believe it was 243 00:13:05,040 --> 00:13:06,559 Speaker 1: there's a type of bee where when the when the 244 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: males are no longer necessary, they go and just kick 245 00:13:08,640 --> 00:13:10,960 Speaker 1: them out. Because you're wondering, the bumblebee sting is one 246 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 1: of the most painful stings, is it. Yes, you get 247 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:16,959 Speaker 1: a lot of swelling and the irritation. And I just 248 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: wanted to also mention Africanized honey bees, also known as 249 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,000 Speaker 1: killer bees, that live in South America and southern United States. 250 00:13:25,080 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 1: They have been known to chase people for over a 251 00:13:27,160 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: quarter of a mile once they get excited and aggressive. 252 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:32,640 Speaker 1: And the reason why they're called killer bees is not 253 00:13:32,720 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 1: necessarily because they kill people so much, is that their venom. 254 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:38,960 Speaker 1: Their venom is uh, you know, no more dangerous than 255 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,520 Speaker 1: any other honeybee. It's because their attacks are more harmful 256 00:13:42,559 --> 00:13:46,560 Speaker 1: because they attack in greater numbers. So um, that can 257 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: really increase increase your chance of having a severe allergic reaction. 258 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 1: That's why they're scary. So let's let's talk a little 259 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: bit about some of the abilities of these particular creatures. 260 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,160 Speaker 1: I'm gonna come back again to the parasitic wasp, which 261 00:14:00,200 --> 00:14:01,959 Speaker 1: is a concept I love. You know, it's something about 262 00:14:02,160 --> 00:14:05,360 Speaker 1: you know, you grow up watching Alien and uh and 263 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:07,880 Speaker 1: and and I mean that's basically the concept of the 264 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: wasp taken into a sci fi human world. Is this 265 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:15,599 Speaker 1: the ladybug bummits for that? You that's what you call it? 266 00:14:15,679 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, I'll get to get to that. Yeah, 267 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: for sure. Growing up grew up in like rural Tennessee, 268 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,800 Speaker 1: and so they're they're dirt dapper nest everywhere that the 269 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: or mud dappers if they're known in some areas. And uh, 270 00:14:27,360 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: if you've ever broken one of these open, it's really 271 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:31,400 Speaker 1: neat you'll find it. There are these little cylinders, right 272 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: and that's where the eggle will be in. The larva 273 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 1: will grow and they'll just the the wasp will just 274 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: stuff these things with with paralyzed or dead spiders. So 275 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: that so when the young wakes up, it'll have a meal. 276 00:14:42,440 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 1: And so if anyone out there is just completely anti wasp, 277 00:14:46,080 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: I think it's important to note these things kill the 278 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,280 Speaker 1: heck out of some spiders. So and a lot of 279 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:53,200 Speaker 1: the spiders that they go after it things like brown 280 00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: reclusives or black widows, things that you definitely don't want 281 00:14:56,400 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: a round uh and and and definitely don't want crawling 282 00:14:59,840 --> 00:15:02,360 Speaker 1: on you or in any coming into any kind of 283 00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:04,880 Speaker 1: contact with you or your the people you love. And 284 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:07,040 Speaker 1: in these cases, they'll fill a cylinder with like upwards 285 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:09,160 Speaker 1: of forty spiders. I'm not talking just like a few 286 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,240 Speaker 1: forty spiders. Then you have washp like the Pepsis wasps 287 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,800 Speaker 1: also known as tarantula hawks, and they will each lay 288 00:15:15,840 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: an egg inside a single paralyzed tarantula, and then the 289 00:15:19,040 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: emerging larva proceeds to eat the imprisoned spider from the 290 00:15:22,520 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: inside out, which is pretty that's pretty greesome. I like it. 291 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:28,120 Speaker 1: One of my my favorites, though, is a particular parasitic 292 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: wasp known as the dino campus uh Cosinella, which what 293 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: is called the dino campus so that the dino campus 294 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: when it's when it hatches from the egg like a 295 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 1: lot of wasps, it finds that it is inside another creature. 296 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,440 Speaker 1: In this case, it is inside a ladybug, all right, 297 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: and it was of course deposited there by an adult. 298 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,600 Speaker 1: And then and then it grows to larvahood and then 299 00:15:51,640 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: it emerges in something that I am going to to 300 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:59,240 Speaker 1: try and coin a celebration of chess bursts burst mitzvah 301 00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:02,440 Speaker 1: who it burst from the chest of this ladybug. And 302 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: then it's they're squirming as a as a larva doesn't 303 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: emerge fully grown in this case. Um, so it's it's 304 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,520 Speaker 1: still you know, it's it's not completely ready to fend 305 00:16:11,560 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: for itself. So you would normally think, all right, so 306 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: the ladybug has been uh surgically impregnated with this foreign entity. 307 00:16:19,640 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: This foreign entity has burst forth from its stomach. Uh, 308 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 1: now the ladybug is gonna dimmersefull death, right right, like, 309 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: please put her out of her misery? Yeah? Not not 310 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: not so. In this case, not only does the ladybug live, 311 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: but there's a little behavior modification involved in the the 312 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:40,240 Speaker 1: implantation process that forces it to hang around and guard 313 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: it's parasite baby as it grows to adulthood. Yeah. So 314 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: the larva is smaller than the ladybugs. So you'll see 315 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:50,680 Speaker 1: pictures of this where the ladybug just continues to hang around, 316 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: like hunched over the larva to protect it. And scientists 317 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: believe that this has caused by secretions left by the 318 00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:01,240 Speaker 1: larva when it bursts out. It essentially reprograms the host 319 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,400 Speaker 1: to stick around. Alright, so so the wasp grows to maturity, 320 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: right then what happens, Well, it doesn't need to to 321 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 1: eat this uh, this ladybug because it doesn't eat ladybugs. 322 00:17:12,080 --> 00:17:14,680 Speaker 1: As an adult, it doesn't depend on other animals for 323 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: its food. But once it reaches this uh, this point, 324 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: researchers found that of the manipulated ladybugs recovered normal behavior 325 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:24,439 Speaker 1: following the word a deal. So a lot of them 326 00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:26,440 Speaker 1: just did eventually die, but but some of them didn't. 327 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,159 Speaker 1: Some of them like went on, like that's how cruel 328 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:32,239 Speaker 1: the insect world is. But then how resilient the insects are. 329 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:34,959 Speaker 1: It's like you could go through this kind of catastrophics 330 00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:38,000 Speaker 1: u situation in your life as a ladybug, and then 331 00:17:38,040 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: you eventually move on. And now I'm just wondering if 332 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,440 Speaker 1: there's any sort of like memory racing enzymes that were 333 00:17:43,560 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 1: involved with that, because you know that's of course we're 334 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:49,000 Speaker 1: humans and so we can't help. But thinking human terms, 335 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:52,840 Speaker 1: but imagine your body being occupied by this alien larva 336 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: which you then are reprogrammed to to not just host 337 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:01,920 Speaker 1: but um protect. And then and then imagine the ladybug 338 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,480 Speaker 1: is out like walking around on a leaf and it 339 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 1: looks over and sees this this wasp and she doesn't remember. 340 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 1: She looks and she's like, oh, he's so cute. Yeah, 341 00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:12,480 Speaker 1: or maybe's like Stockholm syndrome. You know, it's like, oh, 342 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: I remember you. You you fed off of me. Yeah, 343 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: we were a little larva. Then the wasp says, come 344 00:18:18,440 --> 00:18:20,359 Speaker 1: come here, I have something to give you, and it 345 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,720 Speaker 1: all begins again. I don't know if they could survive 346 00:18:22,760 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 1: a second I would yeah, yeah, that would be cool. 347 00:18:27,440 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 1: Um and then there but then there are other interesting 348 00:18:29,760 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 1: uh moments of jerk them in the Lost World, such 349 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,440 Speaker 1: as with cuckoo wasps. And these are wasps that figured 350 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 1: out long ago that the best source of food for 351 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:41,120 Speaker 1: their larva was other wasp larva. Uh, and what better 352 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:43,160 Speaker 1: way to feed them than by leaving the larva their 353 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,600 Speaker 1: larva in another wasp nest to begin with. Um so, 354 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: it just kind of like dead beat moms of the world. 355 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:51,639 Speaker 1: Um and when so when the cuckoo larva hatch, they 356 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,120 Speaker 1: feed on the larva and food left in the cylinder 357 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,760 Speaker 1: of the actual nest builder. Okay, all right, well I 358 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:03,360 Speaker 1: have a couple of stories for you, sir, about how 359 00:19:03,520 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: they are. They're pretty kicking themselves, Okay, okay, if they 360 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 1: can do more than just make delicious honey and yeah 361 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:15,359 Speaker 1: and save the environment. Okay, So small hive beetles huge pests, right, 362 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: they like to invade the hives of bees and eat 363 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: their stored food which they've worked so hard to make. 364 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,600 Speaker 1: Oh you make it sound like the like this beetle 365 00:19:23,640 --> 00:19:25,840 Speaker 1: as a jurich When it's doing the same thing with humans. 366 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: I know it's doing what it's programmed to do. When 367 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: it's completely fine, and I'm just saying, and kill the 368 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,719 Speaker 1: bees young. Um So in Africa where the beetles come from, 369 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,360 Speaker 1: honey bees wait until the beetles are in a confined 370 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:39,639 Speaker 1: space and then they imprison them within the tomb of resin. 371 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: Oh wow, like that Ed Groland post story. Yes, the 372 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 1: uh I can't remember Montague No, not anyway, I'm sure 373 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,159 Speaker 1: someone out there listening can let us know what that 374 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: what that is? Um? But yes, just like the girl 375 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: and post story, but they can also mummify. Okay, that 376 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 1: is pretty cool. Ye Stings bees, which are native to Australia, 377 00:20:02,359 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 1: uses this this tactic. The worker bees immediately start coating 378 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: the beatles with bathroomen, which is a mixture of wax 379 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: and resin that they used to build their nest entrances with, 380 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:17,320 Speaker 1: and all the while their hive mates attack continuously. So 381 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: not only are they just kind of stopping the beetle 382 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: in its tracks, but you know, putting them into this batoman. 383 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:26,360 Speaker 1: But now all of them are like, hey, let's start 384 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: pummeling on pa, pa, pa pa, and they're coming at them. Okay, 385 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: Now I get it that it's maybe not as cool 386 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 1: because they're all doing this as a group as opposed 387 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,200 Speaker 1: to having these individual abilities or abilities as an individual. 388 00:20:37,320 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: But still, this is amazing that they're they have these 389 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:43,840 Speaker 1: sort of defense tactics, aren't able to act on them, um, 390 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,200 Speaker 1: and they're mommifying this beetle. It's kind of like you 391 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: watch Fraggle Rock, right, I have seen it, I don't 392 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:56,800 Speaker 1: currently watch it every time. You come home from work. Yeah, well, 393 00:20:56,840 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: well now you put it like that, but it would 394 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 1: remember the dozers, the little guys who built all these things. 395 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:05,439 Speaker 1: They're like, they build all these little bridges and towns, 396 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: and then the fraggles will come around and eat their 397 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:10,879 Speaker 1: their their constructions. But it would be like if the 398 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,159 Speaker 1: fraggles came to eat the dozers constructions and the and 399 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: the dozers built something around the fraggle and entombed it 400 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,560 Speaker 1: to death underground. Yeah, you know, you're seeing it. You're 401 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: seeing how cool the bees are right now. Of course, 402 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:28,199 Speaker 1: wasps social wasps have have the ability to attack as 403 00:21:28,240 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: a group as well, which can be pretty devastating for 404 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: someone who is attacked by a large swarm of loss. 405 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: But but it doesn't likewise, it happens with bees too, 406 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 1: So that's something they kind of share among their more 407 00:21:39,480 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 1: social species. But what happens when they go motto a motto, 408 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: Then all sorts of interesting things happen. Because yes, so 409 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 1: this is like the it's like the dark elves and 410 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 1: the normal elves fighting. It's like the it's like angels 411 00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:54,960 Speaker 1: and devils in a way, you know, It's it's like 412 00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: these these they have a common origin and then forced 413 00:21:57,840 --> 00:21:59,920 Speaker 1: a war against each other like they can't help it. 414 00:22:00,200 --> 00:22:04,520 Speaker 1: It's very experienced. It's kind of beautiful, yea brothers warring 415 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,199 Speaker 1: or sisters warring. But I think one of the coolest 416 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: examples to look at are the encounters between Japanese honey 417 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 1: bees and the Asian giant hornets. If you have such 418 00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:19,480 Speaker 1: an interesting mismatch here, because the Asian giant hornet is 419 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:22,920 Speaker 1: is pretty big, like it's um. I've seen pictures of 420 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 1: it in people's palms, and it's it's not quite the 421 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: size of a cicada, but it's it's it's pretty big. 422 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: It's a sizeable thing. You would not want this, this 423 00:22:30,560 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: creature coming after you with its ovipositor uh. And the 424 00:22:33,880 --> 00:22:37,080 Speaker 1: Japanese honey bees are small little bees, so you'll have 425 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:39,679 Speaker 1: these situations where the bees will be carrying on their 426 00:22:39,720 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: normal business and suddenly a single giant hornet shows up. 427 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 1: Now this hornet is there to basically, it's discover the nest. 428 00:22:46,600 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 1: It's going to tag the nest with its pheromones, which 429 00:22:49,200 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 1: sends out the signals for its UH it's us to 430 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,480 Speaker 1: come over and and launch a full scale attack on 431 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: everything the bees have so they can take it back 432 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: to their nest and feed their young. And when this works, 433 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: you'll have situations where merely thirty of these Asian giant 434 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:12,840 Speaker 1: hornets will kill thirty thousand honeybees. That's a slaughter. Yeah great, 435 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 1: I mean just like can imagine that, like each one 436 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 1: of is killing a thousand bees. It's but the thing is, 437 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,280 Speaker 1: believe you have this example. Sometimes, however, they're able to 438 00:23:25,520 --> 00:23:29,440 Speaker 1: kill that first invader before it can send the signal 439 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,040 Speaker 1: back home. It's very very cool. It's called heat balling. 440 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 1: And the honeybees have developed this defense against the hornet, right, 441 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,679 Speaker 1: and they form a giant ball of bees and then 442 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:45,560 Speaker 1: they pile on like a beard of bees, a beard, 443 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:50,520 Speaker 1: a ball, just a large amount of bees congregating um. 444 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,159 Speaker 1: But I like the giant ball because I like to 445 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:53,720 Speaker 1: think of it as like the giant ball of death 446 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:57,320 Speaker 1: coming at the hornet um and it weighs it down 447 00:23:57,480 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: while vibrating their wing muscles, and the activity increases the 448 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: temperature inside the ball to about forties six degrees celsius, 449 00:24:05,160 --> 00:24:10,200 Speaker 1: hot enough to cook the hornet alive, but five degrees 450 00:24:10,359 --> 00:24:14,440 Speaker 1: under the bees maximum tolerated temperature. I'm sorry, but that 451 00:24:14,600 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: is really cool. Like they just crop potted that wasp. Yeah, 452 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,960 Speaker 1: it's pretty amazing. I saw. I've seen some of these 453 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: sternal images of what's going on, and you do you 454 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 1: just see the temperature of just really rise and you 455 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: see that little guy cook right in the middle right there, 456 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:32,679 Speaker 1: and then yeah, they had little Barbie with it. Um. 457 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: And then their Cyprian bees, which their strategy is to 458 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 1: suffocate hornets to death because hornets have sort of like 459 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 1: there it's almost like a lung system in the back 460 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:44,800 Speaker 1: part of their bodies, and so they mob its abdomen 461 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:49,640 Speaker 1: and they are like effectively strangling the hornet to death. Yeah. 462 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,800 Speaker 1: So I mean they can't be uh, pretty h rabble 463 00:24:52,880 --> 00:24:55,960 Speaker 1: rousing themselves, I'll say, these bees. Yeah, they they seem 464 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:59,600 Speaker 1: to have evolved a certainly more social and strategic ways 465 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:05,720 Speaker 1: of d with what is physically a superior killer. Yeah. Yeah, 466 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 1: and obviously, like I said, they can't really go one 467 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: on one with wasps. That's not really gonna happen. Um, 468 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: they are their strength is in their numbers. But really 469 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:18,320 Speaker 1: fireball death, it's pretty cool strangling. Yeah, but then again 470 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:22,680 Speaker 1: I have to point back that one wasp uh killing 471 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 1: a thousand bees in a single battle, that's that's pretty 472 00:25:25,440 --> 00:25:27,159 Speaker 1: that's pretty awesome too. It's like and it seems like 473 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:28,760 Speaker 1: it's like a battle that can go either way, like 474 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,119 Speaker 1: who what's gonna happen? It's gonna be a wholesale slaughter 475 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: of bees or a strategic victory for the honeymakers when 476 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:37,880 Speaker 1: the slaughter is just sad considering that there's so important 477 00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 1: for the pollination of hundreds of wasps are important for 478 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:45,959 Speaker 1: pollination as well. That's well. And of course figs. I've 479 00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:49,240 Speaker 1: had some figs, some local figs actually from just a 480 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: couple of weeks ago, and they're so delicious and you 481 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:54,080 Speaker 1: would not have figs without fig wasps. Uh. Fig fig 482 00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:57,320 Speaker 1: wasps are really a whole other, mind blowing sort of 483 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,480 Speaker 1: scenario to look at because you have very tiny little 484 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 1: wasp like these are not the kind of wasp you're 485 00:26:02,359 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: gonna run from at the swimming pool. They're very small. 486 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: And there's for every type of fig out there, there 487 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 1: is a corresponding species of fig wasps. How cool. Yeah, 488 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:15,880 Speaker 1: and like arteesanal wasps. Yeah, and you would not get 489 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: the edible fig without them. Um, you'll you'll see pictures 490 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:20,920 Speaker 1: of I mean, it was one of the problems with 491 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: figuring out how to grow figs in new areas because 492 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: you can't just take the plant, you got to also 493 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:31,240 Speaker 1: bring the wasp. So you'll see pictures of like fig farms, 494 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:35,119 Speaker 1: fig plantations where there'll be a paper sack tied to 495 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,119 Speaker 1: the limb of a tree and that contains like older 496 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: figs with waspon. So okay, well that's cool. But I 497 00:26:42,080 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 1: will say this is my my last comment for it 498 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: is that recently a truck in Idaho overturned sharing fourteen 499 00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:52,440 Speaker 1: million bees which were used for pollination. Um, so my 500 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:57,439 Speaker 1: point is that they didn't have fourteen million wasps they 501 00:26:57,520 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: needed to transport. They were bees. Yeah, well all right, 502 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:03,880 Speaker 1: but but it also shows that the bee is kind 503 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,160 Speaker 1: of like, you know, owned by the man, whereas the wasp. 504 00:27:07,280 --> 00:27:09,360 Speaker 1: The wasp is a renegade. The wasp is out there 505 00:27:09,640 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: living the life, but the man and the are on. 506 00:27:12,680 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: Well okay, but at the end of the day, you're 507 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,720 Speaker 1: gonna have a delicious cheese plate and you're gonna have 508 00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 1: You're gonna have some cheese, which neither species had anything 509 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,439 Speaker 1: to do with until we breed the cheese producing cornet 510 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:28,080 Speaker 1: in the future. But then you have the cheese, you 511 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:31,159 Speaker 1: have the the honey to dip the cheese, and then 512 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,840 Speaker 1: you also have the delicious fig spread. That's so they're 513 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: both important to me and my cheese plate. That's what 514 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:41,480 Speaker 1: I'm saying. Well, don't forget about the honey over your 515 00:27:41,520 --> 00:27:44,159 Speaker 1: precious cheese. Is exactly that can be quite delicious to 516 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:48,879 Speaker 1: all right, So bees versus wasp an old rivalry. Let's uh, 517 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 1: let's get on to some listener mail. Here. Our first 518 00:27:53,119 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: bit of mail comes from listener Eric, and Eric had 519 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 1: some interesting comments to one of our recent podcast. He says, 520 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,080 Speaker 1: this is not meant to be a nasty gram, always 521 00:28:04,080 --> 00:28:06,560 Speaker 1: a promising way to start one from an emails, I 522 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:08,800 Speaker 1: just wanted to comment on something, he said. Sorry to 523 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:11,160 Speaker 1: bring up such an old podcast, but in the neuro 524 00:28:11,200 --> 00:28:14,199 Speaker 1: Myths podcast, Robert made a comment that deeply disturbed me personally. 525 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:18,400 Speaker 1: He said, quote, understanding conscienness sometimes feels like a Pandora's box. 526 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 1: I wonder the more we unlock about about consciousness and 527 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:24,119 Speaker 1: the more we understand what we are and who we are, 528 00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:27,679 Speaker 1: do we stand the risk of de mystifying ourselves too much? Uh? 529 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: And then Eric goes on to say, as someone who 530 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 1: has suffered from escar syndrome, which has caused serious social 531 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,639 Speaker 1: problems and depression. I long for a better understanding of 532 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: the mind. All my life, I felt psychologists have simply 533 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: been guessing as to what my problem is. The science 534 00:28:41,440 --> 00:28:44,200 Speaker 1: of psychology is no better than which doctrine. Granted, we 535 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,240 Speaker 1: know that some medications help with some problems, but what 536 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 1: about the medications that don't help. In most cases, we 537 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: don't even know why or how the medications work. It's 538 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: amazing to me that you can take the heart out 539 00:28:54,320 --> 00:28:55,680 Speaker 1: of a person who has diet and put it in 540 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: someone whose heart is failing, and that person's life will 541 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,080 Speaker 1: be saved. And yet we can't here the blues think 542 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 1: of what could be done with a complete knowledge of 543 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 1: the mind. Ignorance is not bliss. It is how almost 544 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: all suffering comes from ignorance. Knowledge is bliss. Uh. Sorry, Robert, 545 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,560 Speaker 1: I love the podcast, but I found your comment offensive. 546 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:14,800 Speaker 1: But take heart, everyone is bound to make offensive comments 547 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: from time to time. No apology is necessary. Well that 548 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: is excellent because none will be given. But interesting at 549 00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: an interesting point, imposing this, uh, this question, I'm you know, 550 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: I'm not arguing that we shouldn't seek to understand the brain, 551 00:29:30,440 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: or you know, engage in any kind of quest for knowledge. 552 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 1: I think that the thing is, when we in any 553 00:29:36,640 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: quest for knowledge, you're inevitably going to find out some 554 00:29:39,680 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 1: things that alter your worldview. And the alterations to one's 555 00:29:43,080 --> 00:29:47,480 Speaker 1: worldview can at times be experiments in enlightenment, but they 556 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,280 Speaker 1: can also be chaotic and result in a lot of 557 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 1: reevaluation of what we are and why we are, especially 558 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 1: when you look at things like consciousness. Yeah, no, I 559 00:29:57,960 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 1: understand you're coming from, because so much of our existence 560 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: just feels like this mystical, just strange, incredible experience that 561 00:30:08,160 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: we are able to even sit here and talk and 562 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:13,920 Speaker 1: cogitate on the level that we are all able to 563 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,400 Speaker 1: do so. And it's sometimes examining that can take away 564 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: a bit that. But then I look at the other ways. 565 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: If when you examine it and you get to see 566 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: the brain doing what it does, it's magic to be 567 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,240 Speaker 1: able to peer into that and to see the process 568 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,520 Speaker 1: of um So there's a kind of magic and peeling 569 00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: away the layers. Yeah. I think one of the things 570 00:30:31,720 --> 00:30:34,280 Speaker 1: is that even even if we we build this map out, 571 00:30:34,320 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 1: you know, completely, the brain has such a hard time 572 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:39,960 Speaker 1: seeing itself as a part of the environment. Yeah, that 573 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:42,600 Speaker 1: you know will have a complete map. But well if 574 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:45,160 Speaker 1: we try and find the you are here sticker on 575 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:48,080 Speaker 1: the map, like get them all, um you may have 576 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,239 Speaker 1: some difficulty in finding it or fully contemplating what that means. Well, 577 00:30:52,280 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 1: that's the crux of it right there. I think that's 578 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:55,920 Speaker 1: what you were trying to get to. And and obviously 579 00:30:55,960 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 1: you weren't saying, hey, let's not explore their brain. I 580 00:30:57,840 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 1: think you were kind of saying, like this, this consciousness, 581 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: this I am, this me is really the big mystery 582 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 1: of our being. Um So if it's less than what 583 00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: we think it is, it could be disappointing, right because 584 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:11,680 Speaker 1: nobody wants to feel like just a cog in the 585 00:31:11,720 --> 00:31:15,360 Speaker 1: wheel of nature. But essentially that we know, you know 586 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:17,720 Speaker 1: that that's kind of what we are. We want we 587 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,840 Speaker 1: want to feel a little bit more special than Yeah exactly. 588 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 1: But anyway, I do thank ed for us sending in 589 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:26,320 Speaker 1: some thoughtful commentary on the question that we post. Yeah, 590 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:29,760 Speaker 1: he always sends very interesting commentary, said thanks Eric. And 591 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: we also heard from Francisca. Uh Francisco right soon and says, hey, guys, 592 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:36,400 Speaker 1: I thought you might want to hear a story about 593 00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:39,560 Speaker 1: my brother Lorenzo and his music and math skills. Of course, 594 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 1: responding to some music and math related podcast we've covered. 595 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,560 Speaker 1: He is studying to be a professional clarinetist and is 596 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 1: very good. When he was in high school and middle school, 597 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:50,520 Speaker 1: he did advanced math because he always knew the stuff 598 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 1: that the teachers were talking about. I also am pretty good, 599 00:31:53,760 --> 00:31:56,360 Speaker 1: pretty good French horn player. I used to play French 600 00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:00,760 Speaker 1: yah um, I mean sort of played it. That was 601 00:32:00,960 --> 00:32:04,120 Speaker 1: very good anyway, she says. I am also pretty good 602 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:06,640 Speaker 1: French horn and keyboard player, and also currently go to 603 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 1: tenth grade math. Though I am in eight, I still 604 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:13,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't become a musician or mathematician because I don't love 605 00:32:13,320 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 1: math that much and prefer to listen to music rather 606 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:17,360 Speaker 1: than make it. I love your podcast and hope you 607 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 1: keep doing really interesting topics. All right, Well that's the goal. 608 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,040 Speaker 1: To keep doing interesting topics. That is the goal. So 609 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:25,640 Speaker 1: let us know if you have any topics that you'd 610 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:27,960 Speaker 1: like us to hover. You would love to hear from you. Yeah, 611 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:30,880 Speaker 1: you can contact us on Facebook or Twitter. We are 612 00:32:31,000 --> 00:32:33,680 Speaker 1: on both of those as Blow the Mind. One word 613 00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 1: Blow the Mind, and you can send us an email 614 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: at Blow the Mind at how stuff works dot com. 615 00:32:44,440 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 616 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we 617 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.