Averting the insect apocalypse Highbrow Drivel

Bugs, creepy crawlies, insects, pests. Whatever you call them, these little critters play an important part of our ecosystem and their disappearing at an alarming rate. In this episode, we chat to Dr Dave Goulson, author of the upcoming book 'Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse' with the help of comedian Alfie Packham.

We cover how the decline is measured, why it's important, which insects we could maybe do without and why inner-city hipsters starting suburban beehives won't solve the problem.

Expert guest:
Dave Goulson is Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex. He has published more than 300 scientific articles on the ecology and conservation of bumblebees and other insects. His books include the Sunday Times bestsellers The Garden Jungle and A Sting in the Tale, which was also shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson prize and has been translated into fifteen languages. He is a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society, a trustee of Pesticide Action Network, and an Ambassador for the UK Wildlife Trusts.

Comedian guest:
Alfie Packham has performed at comedy clubs across the UK, including the Manchester Comedy Store and Komedia Brighton, and on radio shows like Union Jack Radio's One Night Stand. He has also performed above pubs, below pubs, and inside the walls of pubs. He was a finalist for the Komedia New Comedy Award in 2020 and a runner-up for the BBC's New Comedy Award in 2019.
He has also written jokes and sketches for BBC Radio 4's The Now Show and BBC Radio 4 Extra's Newsjack. You can follow Alfie on Twitter and Instagram