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March 2025
The Sun InterviewBy Mark LevitonHive MindLars Chittka on the Surprising Brainpower of Bees

Chittka: For me, understanding the minds of bees and other animals inspires a new respect for nature. Many conservation efforts—and there are a lot of people trying to rescue what’s left of the natural world—are motivated by the utility of these animals. This is especially the case with bees and insects. Many people are aware that bees are in trouble and that we ought to do something to help them, because they pollinate our crops. Many fruits and vegetables depend on bees’ pollination services: for example, melons, tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, zucchini, pumpkins, cherries, cucumbers, squash, apples, and citrus fruits.
But that approach can’t work overall. If you’re really trying to protect nature, then it’s a complete package with many species, including annoying ones like wasps. So in addition to the utility argument, we must recognize that many of the animals around us are likely sentient—and thus quite possibly capable of experiencing the deterioration of their habitats. This creates a responsibility for us to do something about it.
Readers WriteBy Our ReadersChores
On a solo backpacking trip, in a desert military base, at a church revival

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Tom Ferguson

Tom Ferguson is the editor of Medical Self-Care magazine. A book he has just edited by that same title will be published soon by Summit Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. It will be a Whole Earth-type catalog of health tools, information, and access information.

The Sun Interview

Getting Unstressed

An Interview With Ken Pelletier

You can think of our bodies as being naive. They can’t tell if your life is really in danger or if you’re just thinking as if your life were in danger. The fear of losing your job might feel just as threatening as if a speeding truck were coming at you.

March 1979

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