Albert Einstein is supposed to have said:
“If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”
And he has been quoted widely and credited with the remark in National newspapers and, apparently, on thousands of blogs.
But Einstein, though he knew a lot, didn’t know anything about bees. There are many people still searching through Einstein texts, trying to discover if the quote is correct and from which lecture or publication it has been taken.
But he didn’t say it.
It’s just a rumour.
If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my RSS feed
Save a Blogger from Begging: Buy Books:
Signed first editions
at special prices.
Subscribe to posts
Apr 18th, 2007 at 2:31 pm
So if global warming alarmists use this to bolster their call to arms, I can chuckle derisively in my honey-sweetened tea, right?
jb says: Whatever floats your boats, Anne.
Apr 18th, 2007 at 6:11 pm
Research! This call is out–research the speeches, the writing!
This incorrigible information shall be wrung off and all information proceeding it. It cannot be!
jb says: It would be good to know who it came from. Does sound a bit like Albert.
Apr 22nd, 2007 at 12:41 am
You may be right about the fact that Einstein didn’t really study bees but he’s right. Botanist have been trying to artificially pollinate plants for years. We could, but everyone in the world would have to stop what they were doing and hand pollinate everything. If we did manage to survive it would send us back to the stone age and cost us most of our resources. Most of the animals would die, so we’d many be eating plants. If the bees died, 80% of living things would die; personally. I wouldn’t want to live in that world.
jb says: Don’t get me wrong, Ksenia, I like bees.
Apr 24th, 2007 at 12:55 am
Ok, first of all, you can’t prove one way or the other whether or not Einstein actually made this statement. How do you know he knew nothing about biology? Honestly, it’s common knowledge that bees polinate about 80% of human plant-based food sources. Therefore, although the figure may not be accurate, the concept is correct. Anyway, does it really matter who made this statement or if it’s entirely true? The point is that if the bees are “mysteriously” dying off then we need to do something about it, even if it’s just to save our food source. And if you’re nonvegetarian, keep in mind that land animals need plants for food… which need bees to polinate them and grow.
jb says: Hi Laurelin. Did I make an argument against the concept? I don’t think so. I agree with you, of course, we need to do something to counteract the disappearing bee population. I was a beekeeper for many years. I love them.
Apr 24th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
There is no evidence that global warming has anything to do with bee populations and their decline.
What people are talking about today is ColonyCollapse disorder (CCD).
Its not global warming it is parasites such as trachial mites and corea mites aKa “Vampire Mites” in pop culture. also a type of beetle that lays its eggs in colonys.
Its just a phrase.
its not 80% of crops its 1/3 of vegetables and crops.
Honey bees are NOT native to america so dont expect them to have any kind of mortality outside a conlony since NONE exist or ever have here.
There is NO way to artificially pollinate the plants effected by this phenomenon yet.
good quote dont care who said it but its true.
Apr 25th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Interesting but somewhat obsure comment or observation credited to Einstein.
It was put forward on Jay Leno last night (04/24/07)by
Bill Maher. So, now I suspect it will become a national topic. All of the Bee/Einstien experts will come out of the woodwork and weigh in on the subject.
Yes there is a problem but can it be attributed to global warming, I suspect the jury is out. Is global warming just a natural happening of the earth or not? I don’t know nor do I think anyone really “knows”.
jb says: I’m more or less with you on this one, George. We should be doing more than we are. But there’s still a lot of education to get through.
Apr 25th, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Typical of Bill Maher to say things as absloute fact when it is indeterminate if Einstein said or did not say that quote attributed to him. (I know he used it to get attention, which he has, but I also believe he really thinks Einstein said it. It’s typical of him not to vet things if it supports his agenda.) Check this link at Snopes.com: http://www.snopes.com/quotes/einstein/bees.asp
That being said, whether or not Einstein said it, of course we should be concerned and research the problem.
May 4th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
I believe the connection between Einstein and bees was made in 1994 when the British media reported on a protest by English beekeepers over import-export issues that would have had a negative economic impact on beekeepers in that country. One of the beekeepers pointed out that 80 percent of the wildflowers and perennials in England are pollinated by bees. If the bees disappear “it’s going to be a chain reaction,” the beekeeper (identified as Mr. Potter) said.
Chainreactions. Bees. Einstein can’t be far behind.
jb says: Thanks for Holmesian detective work, Chris.
May 11th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
If Albert Einstein said that and he was right what would us humans do about it
jb says: Hi Gabe, I expect we’ll do what we’re going to do anyway. Wait for an ‘expert’ to tell us what to do next.
Jun 11th, 2007 at 4:43 am
It’s not just indigenous bees, however, many pollinators are disappearing. Read, for example, the book The Forgotten Pollinators. I have been closely watching my garden for the past decade. This is the first year I’ve seen no honey bees at all. Furthermore, I’ve seen only three bumble bees. Even last year I used to see and get stung by wasps, which are predators, but I have not seen even one wasp either. Something is happening that is far more widespread than just honey bees, and considering that pollinators and angiosperms evolved together, the problem is much bigger than just were we will get our food. I don’t think it takes an Einstein to warrent the truth of that observation.
Jul 17th, 2007 at 4:09 am
* i am currently constructing an installation of a large scale model of a honeycomb {paper, tulle, metal, wax, text}. while working with wax {yes, i have since learned that it takes bees 8 pounds of honey to make one pound of wax; “robbing the bees”, if you will} the bees are flying into my house. even before i began melting the wax, the bees have been finding me, in public and private…dying by the dozens. aside from those that i see perished, there are still many many around my town (pdx) alive, buzzing, and aching to get out of my house and back into the flowers.
the past/current role of bees in our culture is to be applauded and revered. maybe this will teach us to ultimately respect these creatures…
jb says: Respect, ke…, I was a beekeeper for some years.
Jul 29th, 2007 at 5:01 pm
…..if human beings cannot survive without the honeybee (learned that from my 6th grade science teacher)……another 4-4 1/2 years from now would take us to the year 2012…..which is the end of the Mayan Calendar. Maybe the Mayans new something about pollination that we do not know as of yet.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Not being a global warming ignorer, i find what is happening alarming!
I think the biggest problem some humans have is the total detachment they have from the fundamentals that basically allow them to exist.
Bees are perfect adaptions that do a near perfect job efficiently and sustainably, whilst at the same time have a life of their own. From a human perspective one couldn’t invent an efficient way of replacing them and even if we did, it would probably require at least ten times more energy and would probably result in hundreds of other species going extinct.
Jun 15th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
wow, i think susan is right. we really need to do something. and fast.