About this episode
<p><strong>In the grand scheme, bees bring way more to the table than honey — so why are they vanishing? Jessica Wynn combs through the data on Skeptical Sunday!</strong></p><p>Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of <em>The Jordan Harbinger Show</em> where <strong>Jordan</strong> and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by writer and researcher <a href="https://jessicawynn.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Jessica Wynn</strong></a><strong>!</strong></p><p><strong>Full show notes and resources can be found here: </strong><a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/1314" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>jordanharbinger.com/1314</strong></a></p><p><strong>On This Week's Skeptical Sunday:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Honeybees aren't even native to North America</strong> — they're European imports from the 1600s, essentially livestock with wings. <strong>Meanwhile, the 20,000+ species of wild and solitary bees that actually belong here are losing habitat and quietly heading toward extinction</strong>, largely unnoticed.</li><li><strong>The waggle dance isn't just a cute party trick — it's a Nobel Prize-winning symbolic language bees use to communicate precise GPS coordinates through choreography.</strong> And in 2023, scientists discovered it's culturally transmitted, not instinctual, meaning some colonies are literally better dancers because they had better teachers.</li><li><strong>Every winter, 54 billion bees are trucked into California's Central Valley to pollinate almonds</strong> — woken from dormancy, fed stimulants, crammed into monoculture diets, and exposed to pesticides that scramble their navigation. <strong>The system that feeds us is simultaneously dismantling the workforce it depends on.</strong></li><li><strong>Colony Collapse Disorder — where entire forager populations vanish without a trace, no bodies, no explanation — is the bee equivalent of a Mary Celeste mystery.</strong> The leading theory is a perfect storm: parasitic varroa mites, neurotoxic pesticides that cause bees to forget how to get home, malnutrition, and the chronic stress of life as migratory livestock.</li><li><strong>The good news: you don't need a hive or a hero complex to help. Planting native flowers, skipping pesticides, and buying local honey from non-migratory beekeepers are small moves with real impact — because wild bee populations respond directly to local habitat, and every garden is a potential waystation for the solitary bees quietly doing the work no one's paying attention to.</strong></li><li><strong>Connect with Jordan</strong> on <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanHarbinger" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jordanharbinger" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/THEJORDANHARBINGERSHOW" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YouTube</a>. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at <a href="mailto:jordan@jordanharbinger.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jordan@jordanharbinger.com</a> and let him know!</li><li><strong>Connect with Jessica Wynn</strong> at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iamjessicawynn/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> (and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/NeverMetJessicas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a>!), and subscribe to her newsletters:<strong><em> </em></strong><a href="https://jessicawynn.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Between the Lines</em></strong></a><strong> and </strong><a href="https://storiesbywynn.substack.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Where the Shadows Linger</em></strong></a><strong>!</strong></li></ul><p><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/id1344999619?mt=2&ls=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>And if you're still game to support us, please leave a review here</strong></a><strong> — even one sentence helps! </strong></p><ul><li><strong>Sign up for </strong><a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/course" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Six-Minute Networking</strong></a><strong> — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at </strong><a href="https://jordanharbinger.com/course" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>jordanharbinger.com/course</strong></a><strong>!</strong></li><li><strong>Subscribe to our once-a-week </strong><a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong><em>Wee Bit Wiser</em></strong></a><strong> newsletter today and start filling your Wednesdays with wisdom!</strong></li><li><strong>Do you even Reddit, bro? </strong><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/JordanHarbinger/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Join us at r/JordanHarbinger</strong></a><strong>!</strong></li></ul><p><strong>This Episode Is Brought To You By </strong><a href="https://www.jordanharbinger.com/deals/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Our Fine Sponsors</strong></a><strong>: </strong></p><ul><li><strong>Lufthansa Allegris: </strong><a href="https://www.lufthansa.com/us/en/discover-lufthansa/allegris" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Go to Lufthansa.com and search for "Allegris" to learn more</strong></a></li><li><strong>Revolve Man: </strong><a href="https://www.revolve.com/jordan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>15% off: revolve.com/jordan, code Jordan</strong></a></li><li><strong>SimpliSafe: </strong><a href="https://simplisafe.com/jordan" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>50% off + 1st month free: simplisafe.com/jordan</strong></a></li><li><strong>Whatnot: </strong><a href="https://www.whatnot.com/sell" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Start selling today: whatnot.com/sell</strong></a></li></ul><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy</a> and California Privacy Notice at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info</a>.</p>