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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.
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On a solo backpacking trip, in a desert military base, at a church revival

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Companion Animals

Browse Topics

Companion Animals

Poetry

Selected Poems

By Marilyn MichaelSeptember 1976

Essays, Memoirs & True Stories

Cats And Dogs

After a lifetime of trying to deny it I am finally willing to concede that there are forces beyond human control at work in each of our lives.

By William GaitherSeptember 1976

Fiction

Sex Is Not Strawberry Jam

My thumb was out and Interstate 86 out of Providence, Rhode Island was getting hot. Me and my St. Bernard, Roger, were thumbing across America. It had been a messy morning.

By Karl GrossmanJuly 1976

Poetry

Claws

By David BondJanuary 1976

Poetry

energy crisis

By s. kincaidJanuary 1974

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