Search 50 years of archives

Independent, Reader-Supported Publishing

Current Issue
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

In This Issue
Archives
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025
December 2024
November 2024
October 2024
Browse 50 years of Archives

Search
Renew Subscribe
Personal. Political.
Provocative. Ad-free.
Subscribe and Save up to 45%
Renew your subscription
GIVE A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION
SUBSCRIBE
GIVE A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION

Independent, Reader-
Supported Publishing

Subscribe and Save up to 45%

Renew your subscription SUBSCRIBE

GIVE A GIFT SUBSCRIPTION

Search 50 years of archives

Browse Sections

Readers Write

The Bus

A fifth-grade bully, a blossoming romance, a late-night crash

By Our ReadersSeptember 2022

The Bus

Teeth

Losing them, fixing them, forgetting to put them in

By Our ReadersAugust 2022

Teeth

Bikes

Learning to ride, falling down, getting back on

By Our ReadersJuly 2022

Bikes

Intimacy

In a college dorm, in a prison, in a marriage

By Our ReadersJune 2022

Intimacy

Cooking

With a broken-down oven, in a hotel kitchen, on an uninhabited island

By Our ReadersMay 2022

Cooking

Concerts

At Woodstock, at a school in Nepal, at an all-ages punk show

By Our ReadersApril 2022

Concerts

Being Stubborn

In a marriage, in a divorce, on a pilgrimage

By Our ReadersMarch 2022

Being Stubborn

Haircuts

Going natural, looking professional, shaving it all off

By Our ReadersFebruary 2022

Haircuts

Trash

Collecting bottles, tossing leftovers, taking out the garbage

By Our ReadersJanuary 2022

Trash

Caught In The Act

Smoking in the girls’ room, sneaking a drink, napping

By Our ReadersDecember 2021

Caught In The Act

Subscribe & SaveSAVE 52%

Personal, political, provocative writing delivered to your doorstep every month—without a single ad.

Subscribe Today