We first encountered the letter in 2019, when a reader shared it with us. In it, Einstein discusses bees, birds and whether new physics principles could come from studying animal senses.
Planting a garden for winter-active insects is a wonderful way to support local biodiversity. Your garden will thrive with the free pollination and pest control services the insects provide.
Red mason bee just hatched out of its cocoon.
Hazet/Wikimedia Commons
Insects are plentiful and inexpensive. Even when children aren’t attending school in person, they can learn from the encounters they have with insects outside.
Working together to figure out where to eat.
Cheyenne Montgomery/Moment via Getty Images
New research suggests individual bees are born with one of two learning styles – either curious or focused. Their genetic tendency has implications for how the hive works together.
Worker bees with capped brood (brown), open brood (white larva), all sorts of coloured pollen and shiny fresh nectar.
Cooper Schouten
A single colony of bees can have 60,000 bees in it. Together, they can visit up to 50 million flowers each day to collect pollen and nectar. They’re not called ‘busy bees’ for nothing!
The complex interactions that maintain group health inside a bee hive offer lessons for humanity during pandemics.
Rachael Bonoan