{"id":3515684,"date":"2025-08-27T09:47:16","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T09:47:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/?p=3515684"},"modified":"2025-08-27T09:47:16","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T09:47:16","slug":"the-silent-collapse-what-the-disappearance-of-insects-means-for-humanity-and-the-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/stories\/2025-08-27\/the-silent-collapse-what-the-disappearance-of-insects-means-for-humanity-and-the-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"The Silent Collapse: What the Disappearance of Insects Means for Humanity and the Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Recorded on: Jun 25, 2025<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"border: none;\" title=\"Embed Player\" src=\"https:\/\/play.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/37686460\/height\/64\/theme\/modern\/size\/small\/thumbnail\/no\/custom-color\/04040c\/time-start\/00:00:00\/hide-playlist\/yes\/hide-subscribe\/yes\/download\/yes\" width=\"100%\" height=\"64\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Description<\/h3>\n<p>Insects, bugs, creepy-crawlies \u2013 these small animals are often considered a nuisance (or worse) by humanity, bringing up an ongoing desire to kill or mitigate these \u201cpests\u201d that plague our backyards, homes, and gardens. But we\u2019re beginning to see that, despite our cultural misconceptions, insects are actually at the foundation of our biosphere, food supply, and nearly every life process on Earth. This makes recent reports of rapidly declining insect populations all the more troubling \u2013 but can we recognize the vital importance of insects and reverse the harm we\u2019ve done before it\u2019s too late?<\/p>\n<p>On this episode, Nate is joined by environmental journalist, Oliver Milman, to discuss the alarming decline in insect populations in the past few decades and the far-reaching consequences this has for ecosystem stability, human well-being, and the overall health of the biosphere. From pollination and nutrient cycles to being the base of food webs for countless other animals, the loss of insects has cascading effects beyond what we could imagine. Oliver outlines the human activity that is driving the worst of these trends, including how accelerating global heating is amplifying these ecological pressures.<\/p>\n<p>How would a major collapse of insect populations immediately disrupt our everyday lives \u2014 and are we already starting to see those impacts? How do various sectors of human activity, from industrial agriculture to urban development, influence insect health? And ultimately, would supporting thriving insect populations require us to fundamentally rethink our relationship with the creatures with which we share the biosphere?<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About Oliver Milman<\/h3>\n<p>Oliver Milman is a British journalist and the environment correspondent at The Guardian. His first book,\u00a0<em>The Insect Crisis<\/em>, is a devastating account of how a silent collapse in worldwide insect populations is threatening everything from the birds in our skies to the food on our plates. It was published by Atlantic in 2022 and shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize for Conservation Writing.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j3auCYkPpoc?si=BAlOm2Q6N9c6qXzS\" width=\"100%\" height=\"600\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><span data-mce-type=\"bookmark\" style=\"display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;\" class=\"mce_SELRES_start\">\ufeff<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Show Notes &amp; Links to Learn More<\/h2>\n<p>00:00 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/olivermilman.com\/about\/\">Oliver Milman<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/profile\/oliver-milman\">works<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/olivermilman.com\/the-insect-crisis\/\"><i>The Insect Crisis<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p>02:54 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/animals.howstuffworks.com\/animal-facts\/insects-on-earth.htm#:~:text=The%20estimated%20number,50%20trillion%20individuals\">2 billion insects for every human<\/a><\/p>\n<p>03:37 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0006320719317823\"><i>Scientists\u2019 warning to humanity on insect extinctions<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p>03:54 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.adp4671\">The U.S. has lost 1\/5 of butterfly population since 2000<\/a><\/p>\n<p>04:09 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kcur.org\/2023-11-03\/insects-are-disappearing-national-study#:~:text=Entomologists%20say%20insects%20are%20declining%20at%20alarming%20rates%20%E2%80%94%20one%20major%20study%20estimates%20we%E2%80%99re%20losing%202%25%20in%20total%20insect%20biomass%20every%20year.\">Losing 2% insect biomass per year<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9897674\/\">Total biomass<\/a><\/p>\n<p>04:54 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/ever\/learn\/nature\/insects.htm#:~:text=Insects%20represent%20about%2090%20percent%20of%20all%20life%20forms%20on%20earth.%20More%20than%20one%20million%20insect%20species%20have%20been%20identified%20throughout%20the%20world%2C%20and%20some%20entomologists%20(scientists%20that%20study%20insects)%20estimate%20there%20may%20be%20as%20many%20as%2010%20million%20species.\">Percentage of living things that are insects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>05:09 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1080\/14888386.2002.9712613\">Diversity of flies<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.edu\/stories\/killer-insect-profile-assassin-fly\">Assassin fly<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.edu\/spotlight\/buginfo\/true-flies-diptera\">how may species<\/a><\/p>\n<p>06:29 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldwildlife.org\/magazine\/issues\/spring-2023\/articles\/here-s-how-insects-help-keep-ecosystems-in-balance\">Ecosystem services of insects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>07:44 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Neoteny_in_humans\">Neoteny<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/story\/why-are-the-babies-of-mammals-cute\">the evolutionary reasoning behind loving baby mammals<\/a><\/p>\n<p>08:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bugvita.com\/post\/the-importance-of-insects-in-the-history-of-human-evolution?srsltid=AfmBOora8WOCqR-0GoxIBKlZGJkmLdWaOlBFTiByNJ20M8Br8T1_-E_w\">Evolutionary relationship to insects<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Human_interactions_with_insects\">Human Interactions with insects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>08:26 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/global-health\/impact\/fighting-the-worlds-deadliest-animal.html#:~:text=infected%20with%20LF.-,Malaria,of%20the%20world%27s%20population%20is%20at%20risk%20of%20this%20preventable%20disease.,-Since%202000%2C%20CDC\">Malaria carried by mosquitos is a leading cause of preventable death<\/a><\/p>\n<p>08:34 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/smithsonian-institution\/mosquitos-exist-elephants-donkeys-used-represent-gop-democrats-180973517\/#:~:text=While%20they%20can%20seem%20pointless,Smithsonian's%20U.S.%20National%20Mosquito%20Collection.\">Purposes mosquitoes serve<\/a><\/p>\n<p>09:14 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ifaw.org\/animals\/white-rhinos\">White rhino endangerment<\/a><\/p>\n<p>09:34 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ehp.niehs.nih.gov\/doi\/10.1289\/EHP10947\">Pollinators effects on agriculture<\/a><\/p>\n<p>10:44 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.washington.edu\/timbillo\/Readings%20and%20documents\/ABRIDGED%20READINGS%20for%20PERU\/Wilson_1987_Little_things_that_run.pdf\"><i>The Little Things that Run the World\u00a0<\/i>by E.O. Wilson<\/a><\/p>\n<p>12:24 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/general-information\/initiatives-and-highlighted-programs\/peoples-garden\/importance-pollinators#:~:text=Three%2Dfourths%20of,and%20other%20insects.\">1\/3 of food we eat depends on pollinators<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/articles\/chocolate-midge.htm\">the \u201cChocolate\u201d midge<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ars.usda.gov\/pacific-west-area\/logan-ut\/pollinating-insect-biology-management-systematics-research\/docs\/alfalfa-leafcutting-bee-alcb\/\">alfalfa pollinator<\/a><\/p>\n<p>14:59 \u2013 Decline in insect-eating birds\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/europe-has-lost-over-half-a-billion-birds-in-40-years-the-single-biggest-cause-pesticides-and-fertilisers-206826\">in Europe<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/environment-climate-change\/services\/environmental-indicators\/trends-bird-populations.html\">in Canada<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2025\/jan\/30\/birds-dying-pristine-amazon-climate-crisis-aoe\">in the Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n<p>16:24 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=IzKys4JKYmwC&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA151&amp;dq=Insect+population+fluctuation&amp;ots=BSR_8MfIMO&amp;sig=A-sFp2DrSvf0K4Z5oGF9HINUBCw#v=onepage&amp;q=Insect%20population%20fluctuation&amp;f=false\">Insect population dynamics<\/a><\/p>\n<p>17:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/355372805_How_to_Count_Bugs_A_Method_to_Estimate_the_Most_Probable_Absolute_Population_Density_and_Its_Statistical_Bounds_from_a_Single_Trap_Catch\">Method on counting insects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>17:24 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/crowther-thomas-ecology\/?originalSubdomain=ch\">Thomas Crowther<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegreatsimplification.com\/episode\/177-thomas-crowther\">TGS Episode<\/a><\/p>\n<p>18:24 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencealert.com\/malaria-carrying-mosquitos-are-expanding-their-territory-almost-3-miles-a-year#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20this%20new%20study,dictates%20where%20they%20can%20survive.\">Climate change and malaria mosquitoes<\/a><\/p>\n<p>18:40 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.popsci.com\/environment\/why-cockroaches-are-so-resilient\/\">Cockroach resiliency<\/a><\/p>\n<p>19:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.biologicaldiversity.org\/campaigns\/native_pollinators\/pdfs\/Pollinators_in_Peril.pdf\">1 in 4 native bee species endangered in U.S.<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/news.uga.edu\/monarch-butterfly-may-not-be-endangered-but-its-migration-is\/\">Monarch butterfly migration changes<\/a><\/p>\n<p>20:49 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/theecologist.org\/2015\/may\/02\/bee-collapse-result-their-enslavement-industrial-monocultures\">Honeybees being trucked around U.S. to pollinate fields\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<p>23:24 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/monarchjointventure.org\/faq\/milkweed\">Planting native milkweed for monarchs<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1002\/eap.2309\">Benefits of planting native plants for insects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>23:39 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ukpoms.org.uk\/\">UK\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/beta.cms.int\/sites\/default\/files\/document\/cms_cop13_inf.39_germany-action-programme-for-insect-protection_e.pdf\">Germany\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0responses to insect issues<\/p>\n<p>24:19 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC2649299\/\">Pollinator populations decreasing<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhm.ac.uk\/discover\/soil-degradation.html\">soils degrading<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/population-growth\">human populations increasing<\/a><\/p>\n<p>24:54 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2666683924000816\">Global grassland degradation<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/global-land-for-agriculture\">Land use for agriculture<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/7262007\/climate-change-seasons\/\">Climate change\u2019s effect on the seasons<\/a><\/p>\n<p>25:59 \u2013 Light pollution effects on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/science\/for-insects-that-glow-artificial-light-is-killing-the-vibe\">Fireflies<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/resjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/icad.12447\">Moths<\/a><\/p>\n<p>27:44 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/story\/where-do-honeybees-go-in-the-winter\">Bees during the winter<\/a><\/p>\n<p>31:24 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nrdc.org\/stories\/neonicotinoids-101-effects-humans-and-bees\">Neonicotinoids<\/a><\/p>\n<p>32:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0185809\">Germany insect population study<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/content\/article\/several-species-insects-have-almost-completely-vanished-some-tropical-forests\">Puerto Rico insect population study<\/a><\/p>\n<p>33:14 \u2013 Insects populations that are thriving:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pestworld.org\/news-hub\/pest-articles\/cities-facing-increased-cockroaches-in-2025\/#:~:text=Cockroach%20Season%202025:%205%20Cities,for%20a%20surge%20in%20infestations.\">cockroaches<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/laist.com\/shows\/take-two\/study-reveals-unexpected-causes-of-mosquito-population-growth\">mosquitos<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/tick-populations-booming-across-u-093000357.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFSTs30T9fDtClEt9IvAaZxzDYconi05InK6XngVG-VUjSbvTXvbJiZlaIiUQjXnQqKGJC-QtDI7A2m3P_ainXjUE9vtMWRiB8QJmRNUhoB12gGpNnl66iIIQZ0vsedQjudedy9nDk5pa9rhFvBjMnB5K2z-qlTrfoG2329UHP_2\">ticks<\/a><\/p>\n<p>34:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/tickencounter\/species\/lone-star-tick\/\">Lone star tick<\/a>\u00a0can cause\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/alpha-gal-syndrome\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20428608\">allergy to meat<\/a><\/p>\n<p>35:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/consilienceproject.org\/challenges-to-making-sense-of-the-21st-century\/#:~:text=Beck%E2%80%99s%20basic%20thesis,risk%20society.\">Second-, third-, nth order effects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>35:44 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/sustainability.stanford.edu\/news\/climate-change-cuts-global-crop-yields-even-when-farmers-adapt\">Crop yields dropping<\/a><\/p>\n<p>36:14 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2017\/03\/09\/world\/artificial-pollinator-japan#:~:text=Researchers%20in%20Japan%20have%20successfully,collecting%20pollen%20from%20a%20lily:\">Drones as pollinators<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Black_Mirror\"><i>Black Mirror<\/i><\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www-museumoftheearth-org.webpkgcache.com\/doc\/-\/s\/www.museumoftheearth.org\/bees\/evolution-fossil-record\">How long bees have been around<\/a><\/p>\n<p>37:13 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wyss.harvard.edu\/technology\/robobees-autonomous-flying-microrobots\/\">Harvard<\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2018\/oct\/09\/robotic-bees-could-pollinate-plants-in-case-of-insect-apocalypse\">Dutch university<\/a>\u00a0building robotic bees<\/p>\n<p>37:29 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8uM5YQC1vy4\">Apple orchard drone pollination demo<\/a><\/p>\n<p>42:54 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC3709294\/\">Being surrounded by undisturbed nature is good for us<\/a><\/p>\n<p>47:14 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/gufaculty360.georgetown.edu\/s\/contact\/0031Q00001wwig3QAA\/rod-schoonover\">Rod Schoonover<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegreatsimplification.com\/episode\/183-rod-schoonover\">TGS Episode<\/a><\/p>\n<p>47:59 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usda.gov\/about-usda\/news\/press-releases\/2014\/06\/20\/usda-provides-8-million-help-boost-declining-honey-bee-population#:~:text=Now%20is%20a%20critical%20time,between%20each%20of%20these%20factors.\">U.S. artificially keeps up the honey bee populations<\/a><\/p>\n<p>49:59 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Almond_cultivation_in_California\">California almond industry<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.noemamag.com\/the-rise-of-the-bee-bandits\/\">Bee bandits<\/a><\/p>\n<p>51:34 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9732734\/\">Research on 5G effects on insects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>52:19 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/freshwaterblog.net\/2019\/03\/29\/insect-declines-in-germany-can-insect-friendly-farming-practices-help-reverse-the-trend\/\">Germany agricultural practices to help insects<\/a><\/p>\n<p>52:59 \u2013 Wild flower patches in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.metroparent.com\/things-to-do\/outdoors\/flower-fields-in-michigan\/\">Detroit, MI<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.holland.com\/global\/tourism\/get-inspired\/nl-in-7-stories\/blooming-netherlands\">the Netherlands<\/a><\/p>\n<p>53:12 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.org\/en-us\/about-us\/where-we-work\/united-states\/new-york\/stories-in-new-york\/green-roofs-new-york-city\/\">New York City Green Roofs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>53:54 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/ecs2.4222\">Higher diversity of certain insects in urban areas than in rural areas<\/a><\/p>\n<p>54:44 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20230721-what-would-happen-if-we-stopped-fishing\">Leaving fisheries alone and fish populations recover<\/a><\/p>\n<p>56:46 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/epa-seeks-bring-back-twice-banned-pesticide-2103447\">EPA Seeks to Bring Back Twice-Banned Pesticide<\/a><\/p>\n<p>57:34 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncsl.org\/environment-and-natural-resources\/states-shut-out-light-pollution\">U.S. Policy addressing light pollution<\/a><\/p>\n<p>57:47 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/beecityusa.org\/no-mow-may\/\">No Mow May<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:00:33 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/science\/to-rake-or-not-to-rake-expert-tips-for-eco-friendly-autumnal-lawn-care\">Benefits of not raking leaves<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:02:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S2214574523000974\">Evolutionary psychology of entomophobia<\/a>\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.purina.co.uk\/articles\/cats\/behaviour\/common-questions\/why-are-cats-scared-of-cucumbers\">cats and cucumbers<\/a>)<\/p>\n<p>1:03:49 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/therapy-types\/neuro-linguistic-programming-therapy\">Neurolinguistic programming therapy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:04:39 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/read.realityblind.world\/view\/975731937\/99\/\">Shifting baselines<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:06:58 \u2013 Honeybees can\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/communities.springernature.com\/posts\/the-honey-bee-understands-the-concept-of-zero#:~:text=The%20honeybee%20now%20joins%20the,been%20observed%20in%20an%20insect.\">understand 0<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6365119\/\">addition\/subtraction<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0048969721051160\">can detect landmines<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0960982213007707\">display altruistic behavior<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/science-nature\/bees-can-learn-play-soccer-score-one-insect-intelligence-180962292\/\">can play \u201csoccer\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:08:04 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scientificamerican.com\/article\/fact-or-fiction-cockroach-can-live-without-head\/\">Cockroaches can live for some time without their head<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:08:29 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/dragonfly.tam.cornell.edu\/publications\/2008_Dragonfly_flight.pdf\">Dragonfly flight<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:08:49 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.army.mil\/article\/138654\/researchers_test_insect_inspired_robots\">U.S. Military insect-inspired robots<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.militaryaerospace.com\/computers\/article\/16722038\/darpa-eyes-tiny-insects-as-models-for-advanced-swap-constrained-artificial-intelligence-ai-computing\">Insect-inspired AI design<\/a><\/p>\n<p>1:09:24 \u2013\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nickhaddadlab.com\/people\/nick-haddad\/\">Nick Haddad<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegreatsimplification.com\/episode\/90-nick-haddad\">TGS Episode<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"dl_transcript\" class=\"cta_btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thegreatsimplification.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TGS-189-Oliver-Milman-Transcript.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Download transcript<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On this episode, Nate is joined by environmental journalist, Oliver Milman, to discuss the alarming decline in insect populations in the past few decades and the far-reaching consequences this has for ecosystem stability, human well-being, and the overall health of the biosphere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128238,"featured_media":3515758,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[79718,213530],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3515684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-environment-featured"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3515684","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128238"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3515684"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3515684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3515762,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3515684\/revisions\/3515762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3515758"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3515684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3515684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.resilience.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3515684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}