From A To B is the PERFECT overlap of "informative conversation on a topic" and "2 friends just being dumb and funny with each other" You two should do this more often!
I loathe mosquitos as much as the next person, but when you think about it: Mosquitos are a kind of ecological Robin Hoods; They take biomass from those species in the ecosystem whose members have (and consume) the most of it individually and redistribute it back down the food-chain, supporting greater diversity within the ecosystem as a whole.
This is my own birthday gift. A good, long, relaxing Nature League talk about things Adrian and I hate. I love it. It felt kinda like sitting in the living room chatting about the everyday things, but about things that matter.
For sure! It took me until a graduate-level environmental philosophy course to really begin to understand this, so thank you for tackling this topic in your classroom!
OMG I've missed you both. Britt I was wondering the other day, is there a limit to how big a tree can grow? (was totally not watching Avatar) But if say time, space and resources were not an issue would it eventually just collapse under its own weight?
Ooh, cool question! The root system would probably determine some of that, but I'm also thinking that the taller the tree, the longer it takes for the plant tissues to transport food and water throughout the individual- might be a problem in terms of the speed of nutrient availability. I'll look into it and let you know ;)
@@Kram1032 I was thinking about stuff like that, too... the answer is definitely going to depend on a whole lot of factors (tree species being perhaps the most obvious one?)... And the tallest known living tree is about 115 meters... (i.e. see also): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_(tree)
I also know of a type of carnivorous plant, the Drosera (Sundew), that relies pretty heavily on mosquitoes at certain points during the year. I really just wish mosquitoes didn't love my blood so much.
Dengue Fever isn't fun - it was the sickest I've ever been and is a common illness in many countries. A world without mosquitoes where no one gets Dengue Fever any more seems attractive to me.
• There are some arctic birds that mostly just eat mosquitoes (they fly into a swarm with their mouths open like a whale eating a krill bloom). • Considering Brit's stance on life having intrinsic value as opposed to its use for humans, I'm assuming she's of the opinion that eradicating mosquitoes (or anything else) just because some (can) hurt humans is offensive.
Nah, not offensive...I totally respect people wanting to survive and taking care of themselves (which at times includes killing other species), I just like to point it out as part of the huge pile of considerations on the table :)
11:37 AMIRIGHT, FELLAS??? *everyone high fives, people cheer, the mayor gives me a key to the city, the joke police show up because the joke was too funny, I go out in a blaze of glory* WORTH IT.
These two are so much fun to watch interact. I want them to have a drinking contest while discussing science facts and trying to stay on topic while getting further and further trashed out of their minds.
erik's comments as they happen: wait, can i message brit every time i freak out about stuff too? so if a mosquito is a vector to a disease, therefore, is a gun a vector to a bullet? oh no, adrian actually thought that brit would forget a word? silly adrian, proboscis are for kids. hey erik, how many species of mosquitos are there? 3! move along. this is why this aint called from e to b. the video would be done in 2 minutes. i think there is three kinds of mosquitos. the common mosquito, rita skeeter, and steve. less painful needles? thats silly. where i grew up, to apply a vaccine, the doctor would just scratch you with a coke bottle cap and smear the vaccine in. brit wait finger attack! i think i need to make an animated gif of brits multiple facial expressions.
I love the chemistry and personalities you two have, it makes for entertaining videos! I have a small issue with Brit's view that ecosystems are never in or out of balance, I'm not disputing that point, from a scientific standpoint that is absolutely correct, change is the norm. My issues is that that view point, uncritically examined and selfishly interpreted, paves the way for people to decide that they don't need to worry about nature and can do whatever they want regardless of the consequences. After all what does it matter if we are tearing up habitat and warming the Earth if there is no real balance to maintain in the first place, after all change is the norm and nature will be just fine no matter what we do. I know that's not what Brit is saying, she has made that clear in several other videos, and I know she sees nature and animals as intrinsically valuable, views I share, but the problem is that it is easy for others to say they don't see the intrinsic value in nature or to say they find more intrinsic value in the strip mall (or whatever) that they want to build than in the endangered species that currently live at a location. I know this is a complex issue that is fraught and that Brit has tried addressing much of this, including looking into much of the nuance, in other videos, but I always cringe just a bit when I hear things like that because of how the implications could be used by others. Please don't see this as some kind of harsh critique or slander against Brit, I love this channel. And I guess I don't really have much of a point and less of a solution (I'm not saying she shouldn't have said that), I just worry that we sometimes pave the way for those with means and power to use our own science based views to destroy the things we care about.
Totally! The question is what it looks like on the other side of said change, and which species/processes that harms, AND human responsibility. Thank you for putting the reminder out there- it's a valid one and crucially important. I grappled with keeping this in the final edit but decided that the fallacy was worth breaking down just little bit. Thanks again :)
I was kinda hoping you'd go into how genetically modified sterile male mosquitoes can be used in areas where malaria is a big problem. I believe that because the lifespan and range of the mosquitoes is short, they die off and the area gets some relief for a while.
That is a fascinating area of research! I remember first learning about it and wondering what the long-term pros and cons were...looks like we're still learning about impacts etc.
Mosquitoes in Hawaii, specifically the southern house mosquito have caused the near complete collapse of our avian communities. Hopefully in the near future a mosquito birth control called wolbachia, or a genetically modified mosquito can help relieve the pressure.
As someone who works for a mutual fund company, I'm going to donate to your channel with matched funds from my employer, if I can. I'll put it in Greg's name.
I'm only 5 hours late. This was a great episode and I have had the exact same thought about mosquitoes. I'm sure I'm not the only one either... I love these types of episodes where it's really fun and I get to learn a little more every time. I hope you're both doing well!
I have often wondered what impact the destruction of the malaria parasites (rather than mosquitoes) would have on the ecosystems they inhabit. For instance, is there another species that this parasite keeps in check by preventing overpopulation?
I would guess so, as the parasite is almost acting like a predator in that sense. It would play a role in density-dependent interactions...I mean, malaria parasites technically affect human population numbers, so I'm sure there are other mammals that would be affected.
I am no fan of mosquitos, but living in Vegas, baby, we don't see many of them. But I'm from the old south, so I know what those bloodsuckers are like. Kill em all, let mother nature sort em out . Essy to say since I know it won't happen. So-o-o glad you guys are back. May it always be so! Brit - having admired your many great shirts, I found (and bought) one with a fire-breathing great white shark soaring through space and the universe, being ridden by a cat with a cowboy hat. Yee-haa!
From A To B is the PERFECT overlap of "informative conversation on a topic" and "2 friends just being dumb and funny with each other"
You two should do this more often!
Thanks! If you want more of it, we have an entire playlist of From A to B episodes available of the channel page ;)
@@natureleague Oh I know! I've been watching these from the beginning!
Love that you're here! I've missed you both!
I loathe mosquitos as much as the next person, but when you think about it: Mosquitos are a kind of ecological Robin Hoods; They take biomass from those species in the ecosystem whose members have (and consume) the most of it individually and redistribute it back down the food-chain, supporting greater diversity within the ecosystem as a whole.
This is my own birthday gift. A good, long, relaxing Nature League talk about things Adrian and I hate. I love it. It felt kinda like sitting in the living room chatting about the everyday things, but about things that matter.
Happy birthday!!
@@TamarZiri thank you!!
Yay! Happy (belated) birthday, and I'm so glad to hear your reaction to the format :) Cheers!
It makes me so happy that you still upload to this channel once in a while!
Glad to hear it! I'm going to keep trying my best :)
It's good to see you guys again!!
THANK YOU for talking about ecosystems as SYSTEMS. Something I try to teach my students every year! :)
For sure! It took me until a graduate-level environmental philosophy course to really begin to understand this, so thank you for tackling this topic in your classroom!
Awesome stuff! This is such a relaxing format in which to learn, I love it! Thanks for all your hard work!
This channel is a prime example how much fun learning can be.
Yay! Love to hear that :)
11:49 - oof, too accurate! :-o
OMG I've missed you both. Britt I was wondering the other day, is there a limit to how big a tree can grow? (was totally not watching Avatar) But if say time, space and resources were not an issue would it eventually just collapse under its own weight?
Ooh, cool question! The root system would probably determine some of that, but I'm also thinking that the taller the tree, the longer it takes for the plant tissues to transport food and water throughout the individual- might be a problem in terms of the speed of nutrient availability. I'll look into it and let you know ;)
@@natureleague I would appreciate it :-)
There's a video by Veritasium on that ruclips.net/video/BickMFHAZR0/видео.html
@@Kram1032 I was thinking about stuff like that, too... the answer is definitely going to depend on a whole lot of factors (tree species being perhaps the most obvious one?)...
And the tallest known living tree is about 115 meters... (i.e. see also): en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperion_(tree)
I also know of a type of carnivorous plant, the Drosera (Sundew), that relies pretty heavily on mosquitoes at certain points during the year. I really just wish mosquitoes didn't love my blood so much.
Dengue Fever isn't fun - it was the sickest I've ever been and is a common illness in many countries. A world without mosquitoes where no one gets Dengue Fever any more seems attractive to me.
Ughh yeah, totally understandable!
Thank you!! Now that I am more informed I feel much less ignorant about voting to end all mosquitoes
Yess, more from A to B~~ it's the best.
• There are some arctic birds that mostly just eat mosquitoes (they fly into a swarm with their mouths open like a whale eating a krill bloom).
• Considering Brit's stance on life having intrinsic value as opposed to its use for humans, I'm assuming she's of the opinion that eradicating mosquitoes (or anything else) just because some (can) hurt humans is offensive.
Nah, not offensive...I totally respect people wanting to survive and taking care of themselves (which at times includes killing other species), I just like to point it out as part of the huge pile of considerations on the table :)
Well if it's okay to genocide a species for the greater good, the best candidate isn't mosquitoes…
11:37
AMIRIGHT, FELLAS???
*everyone high fives, people cheer, the mayor gives me a key to the city, the joke police show up because the joke was too funny, I go out in a blaze of glory*
WORTH IT.
You are impossible.
These two are so much fun to watch interact. I want them to have a drinking contest while discussing science facts and trying to stay on topic while getting further and further trashed out of their minds.
I mean...future Patreon perk? XD
erik's comments as they happen:
wait, can i message brit every time i freak out about stuff too?
so if a mosquito is a vector to a disease, therefore, is a gun a vector to a bullet?
oh no, adrian actually thought that brit would forget a word? silly adrian, proboscis are for kids.
hey erik, how many species of mosquitos are there? 3! move along. this is why this aint called from e to b. the video would be done in 2 minutes.
i think there is three kinds of mosquitos. the common mosquito, rita skeeter, and steve.
less painful needles? thats silly. where i grew up, to apply a vaccine, the doctor would just scratch you with a coke bottle cap and smear the vaccine in.
brit wait finger attack!
i think i need to make an animated gif of brits multiple facial expressions.
Yes to all of this hahaha
And what about flies?
Will we ever know what you said to him about what he was doing with his mustache? I have some guesses, and I can see why you'd cut that part out. :P
A to B foreva!
I love the chemistry and personalities you two have, it makes for entertaining videos! I have a small issue with Brit's view that ecosystems are never in or out of balance, I'm not disputing that point, from a scientific standpoint that is absolutely correct, change is the norm. My issues is that that view point, uncritically examined and selfishly interpreted, paves the way for people to decide that they don't need to worry about nature and can do whatever they want regardless of the consequences. After all what does it matter if we are tearing up habitat and warming the Earth if there is no real balance to maintain in the first place, after all change is the norm and nature will be just fine no matter what we do. I know that's not what Brit is saying, she has made that clear in several other videos, and I know she sees nature and animals as intrinsically valuable, views I share, but the problem is that it is easy for others to say they don't see the intrinsic value in nature or to say they find more intrinsic value in the strip mall (or whatever) that they want to build than in the endangered species that currently live at a location.
I know this is a complex issue that is fraught and that Brit has tried addressing much of this, including looking into much of the nuance, in other videos, but I always cringe just a bit when I hear things like that because of how the implications could be used by others. Please don't see this as some kind of harsh critique or slander against Brit, I love this channel. And I guess I don't really have much of a point and less of a solution (I'm not saying she shouldn't have said that), I just worry that we sometimes pave the way for those with means and power to use our own science based views to destroy the things we care about.
Totally! The question is what it looks like on the other side of said change, and which species/processes that harms, AND human responsibility. Thank you for putting the reminder out there- it's a valid one and crucially important. I grappled with keeping this in the final edit but decided that the fallacy was worth breaking down just little bit. Thanks again :)
Hearing the jokes and such, I can't help but think.. "These are my people!"
Also, the subject is interesting. :D
Thanks for another video!
Adrian sounds like Patton Oswalt and I can't get over it.
Why not From A to B over Z?
I was kinda hoping you'd go into how genetically modified sterile male mosquitoes can be used in areas where malaria is a big problem. I believe that because the lifespan and range of the mosquitoes is short, they die off and the area gets some relief for a while.
That is a fascinating area of research! I remember first learning about it and wondering what the long-term pros and cons were...looks like we're still learning about impacts etc.
Mosquitoes in Hawaii, specifically the southern house mosquito have caused the near complete collapse of our avian communities. Hopefully in the near future a mosquito birth control called wolbachia, or a genetically modified mosquito can help relieve the pressure.
A to B episodes are always great. Education-facilitating goofball.
As someone who works for a mutual fund company, I'm going to donate to your channel with matched funds from my employer, if I can. I'll put it in Greg's name.
On behalf of myself and Greg,
I'm only 5 hours late. This was a great episode and I have had the exact same thought about mosquitoes. I'm sure I'm not the only one either...
I love these types of episodes where it's really fun and I get to learn a little more every time. I hope you're both doing well!
I think the mosquitos are what drive the migration of the caribou in the arctic....
Me see kitties, me click like!
T HIS
+
I have often wondered what impact the destruction of the malaria parasites (rather than mosquitoes) would have on the ecosystems they inhabit. For instance, is there another species that this parasite keeps in check by preventing overpopulation?
I would guess so, as the parasite is almost acting like a predator in that sense. It would play a role in density-dependent interactions...I mean, malaria parasites technically affect human population numbers, so I'm sure there are other mammals that would be affected.
This was so exciting
Did you know that there is a new species of mosquito that lives exclusively on the London Underground?
Whaaaaa? Sources! Must know more! :)
www.nature.com/articles/6884120 and www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160323-the-unique-mosquito-that-lives-in-the-london-underground ! :)
YES! MOSQUITOES ARE AWFUL!
So mature :)
I am no fan of mosquitos, but living in Vegas, baby, we don't see many of them. But I'm from the old south, so I know what those bloodsuckers are like. Kill em all, let mother nature sort em out . Essy to say since I know it won't happen.
So-o-o glad you guys are back. May it always be so! Brit - having admired your many great shirts, I found (and bought) one with a fire-breathing great white shark soaring through space and the universe, being ridden by a cat with a cowboy hat. Yee-haa!
Yeahhhhh, imma need that shirt XD
@@natureleague amazon. Search "shark cat shirt." I like it so much I got two of them
You forgot the possible title "From A to Bzzzt" (Or whatever you Americans call the sound of a mosquito)
My guess was that there is 1 species of mosquito. I was a little off.
From A to B through Z
GREG
He reminds me of a fat Chris Pratt... Oh wait.
I prefer to think of myself as Chris Pratt pre Guardians of the Galaxy lol