Buzz By Dr Thor Hanson

Episode

First
Broadcast

Repeated

Comments

20180702

The exact details of the transition from wasp to bee aren't known, but no-one argues about how well it worked out.

Bees now outnumber wasp relations by nearly three species to one

Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.

From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They have given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing.

Read by Elliot Levey.

Abridged in five parts by Polly Coles.

Dr Thor Hanson is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Switzer Environmental Fellow and an award winning author and biologist.

His other books include The Triumph of Seeds, The Impenetrable Forest, Feathers and the illustrated children's favorite, Bartholomew Quill. His writing has been translated into more than ten languages and has earned many accolades, including The John Burroughs Medal, the Phi Beta Kappa Award, the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize and two Pacific Northwest Book Awards.

Producer: Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018.

How the wasp transitioned into a bumble bee.

Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.

20180704

20180703 (R4)

There is an elegant logic to the architecture of a bee's body.

Participants on a bee hunting course in Arizona arouse the suspicions of the US border police.

Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.

Read by Elliot Levey

Producer: Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018.

Participants on a bee hunting course in Arizona arouse the suspicions of the local police.

20180704

Plants and animals can have special relationships.

The lengths to which some plants go to attract and exploit the bee population are often bizarre and complex.

Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Thor Hanson continues on the journey that began 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.

Read by Elliot Levey

Producer: Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018.

The lengths to which plants go to attract and exploit the bee population can be bizarre.

Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.

20180705

It's often said that every third bite of food in our diet relies on bees.

For a Hadza hunter during the honey season, that figure may be an underestimate.

Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Thor Hanson continues on the journey that began 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.

Read by Elliot Levey.

Producer: Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018.

It's often said that every third bite of food in our diet relies on the existence of bees.

Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.

20180706

California's Central Valley produces 81% of the world's annual almond harvest.

There's a problem though - the method of harvesting eliminates bees from the orchards.

Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Thor Hanson concludes the journey that began 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young.

Concluded by Elliot Levey.

Producer: Clive Brill

A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018.

How California's annual almond harvest is eliminating bees from the orchards.

Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.

Episodes

Episode	First Broadcast	Repeated	Comments
01	20180702		The exact details of the transition from wasp to bee aren't known, but no-one argues about how well it worked out. Bees now outnumber wasp relations by nearly three species to one Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They have given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. Read by Elliot Levey. Abridged in five parts by Polly Coles. Dr Thor Hanson is a Guggenheim Fellow, a Switzer Environmental Fellow and an award winning author and biologist. His other books include The Triumph of Seeds, The Impenetrable Forest, Feathers and the illustrated children's favorite, Bartholomew Quill. His writing has been translated into more than ten languages and has earned many accolades, including The John Burroughs Medal, the Phi Beta Kappa Award, the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize and two Pacific Northwest Book Awards. Producer: Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018. How the wasp transitioned into a bumble bee. Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.
02	20180704	20180703 (R4)	There is an elegant logic to the architecture of a bee's body. Participants on a bee hunting course in Arizona arouse the suspicions of the US border police. Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees. Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Hanson takes us on a journey that begins 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They have given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. Read by Elliot Levey Producer: Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018. Participants on a bee hunting course in Arizona arouse the suspicions of the local police.
03	20180704		Plants and animals can have special relationships. The lengths to which some plants go to attract and exploit the bee population are often bizarre and complex. Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Thor Hanson continues on the journey that began 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They have given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. Read by Elliot Levey Producer: Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018. The lengths to which plants go to attract and exploit the bee population can be bizarre. Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.
04	20180705		It's often said that every third bite of food in our diet relies on bees. For a Hadza hunter during the honey season, that figure may be an underestimate. Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Thor Hanson continues on the journey that began 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They have given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. Read by Elliot Levey. Producer: Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018. It's often said that every third bite of food in our diet relies on the existence of bees. Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.
05	20180706		California's Central Valley produces 81% of the world's annual almond harvest. There's a problem though - the method of harvesting eliminates bees from the orchards. Bees are like oxygen - ubiquitous, essential and, for the most part, unseen. While we might overlook them, they lie at the heart of relationships that bind the human and natural worlds. Dr Thor Hanson concludes the journey that began 125 million years ago, when a wasp first dared to feed pollen to its young. From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They have given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. Concluded by Elliot Levey. Producer: Clive Brill A Brill production for BBC Radio 4, first broadcast in July 2018. How California's annual almond harvest is eliminating bees from the orchards. Dr Thor Hanson on the nature and necessity of bees.