Rumor:

Einstein said: If bees disappear from the earth, humans will only survive for another 4 years. No bees, no pollination, no plants, no animals, no humans.

Refuting rumors:

I often see a famous quote said by Einstein on the Internet, in some popular science articles, and even in some academic articles: "If If bees disappear from the earth, humans will only be able to survive for another 4 years. Without bees, there will be no pollination, there will be no plants, there will be no animals, and there will be no humans.”

Especially in the United States and Europe in the past decade. This so-called famous saying became more and more widespread after the phenomenon of large-scale and rapid decline in bee populations was discovered. If Einstein's prediction is true, does this mean that human disaster is coming?

Scientifically speaking, this sentence involves many subject areas: ecology, entomology, evolutionary biology, environmental science, agriculture and many other fields. This is probably why it is difficult for people to judge whether this statement is well-founded.

First of all, it can be said with certainty that the statement that "if bees disappear from the earth, humans will only survive for another 4 years" is baseless.

We are very familiar with bees. In addition to bringing sweetness to humans, bees are also an important economic insect. Their main function in nature is to pollinate crops and wild plants. Pollinates fruit trees and some vegetables. Bee pollination is irreplaceable for artificial pollination. Bee pollination can increase crop yields and improve product quality. The pollination function of bees is an interdependent relationship formed between bees and plants through the process of co-evolution in the long course of natural history. This relationship is important for maintaining the biodiversity and ecological balance of nature. effect.

We all know that the energy required for the survival of almost all land animals on earth (including humans) ultimately comes from plants, and the growth, flowering and fruiting of plants90 all depend on bees for pollination. According to statistics, without bees for pollination, the reproduction of about 40,000 species of plants in nature would be difficult or even on the verge of extinction. Statistics show that 75% of the world's 115 major crops rely on bee pollination. Bee pollination contributes 35% of the world's crop output value. Therefore, bees are an important part of modern agriculture and indispensable in the agricultural ecological balance ecological chain. It has a unique position and role in the development of the national economy.

Since 2006, a large number of bee colonies have disappeared in the United States and Europe. This is "Colony collapse disorder" (CDD). Its main feature is that most of the bee colonies have disappeared. They disappear under adverse conditions. Even if there are still larvae in the bee colony, no dead bees are found inside and outside the beehive and around the apiary. According to reports, bee populations have been declining dramatically around the world, with nearly 1 million bees disappearing around the world.

Australian scientists have found that due to the decrease in pollinating bees, the reproductive capacity of plants has been significantly reduced. Scientists are worried that the massive loss of bees may pose a huge threat to the ecosystem. Crop yields may be significantly reduced, and humans will eventually face large-scale food shortages. Scientists have predicted that at the current rate of bee disappearance, the harm caused by the disappearance of bees will be more serious than the harm caused by global warming in a short period of time.

As for the causes of "colony collapse disorder", scholars have proposed a variety of reasons. The current main views are: 1) The impact of global climate warming; 2) Modern electronic communications (such as mobile phones) Signal interference; 3) The impact of pesticides; 4) The role of viruses. In 2007, American scholars discovered that an insect virus called "Israel Acute Paralysis Virus (IAPV)" was the culprit causing the disappearance of bee populations. Obviously, changes in human life and economic patterns and the living environment of bees are the main reasons for the disappearance of bee colonies.

Chinese scholars investigated the loss of Western honeybee colonies in my country for four consecutive years from 2009 to 2013, and found that the loss rate of Western honeybee colonies in my country has been stable within an acceptable range, and There was no "colony collapse disorder."

The survival and demise of a species (including humans) depends on many influences. Therefore, even if bees disappear, it will not lead to the extinction of the human species within 4 years. But what is unquestionable and needs great attention is that the disappearance of bees will have an immeasurable impact on the ecosystems, crops, vegetables, fruit trees, etc. that humans rely on for survival.

So did Einstein say this? An article once mentioned that someone had consulted the curator of the Einstein Archives at the Hebrew University in Israel about this matter. The curator stated: "There is no evidence that Einstein ever said or wrote such remarks."

Scientific conclusions are based on evidence (facts). Even celebrities or great scientists may speak in layman's terms once they leave their own fields. Furthermore, the opinions of scholars outside their own professional fields are not authoritative, and there is no need for the public to be superstitious about celebrities and authorities and spread some misinformation. What people really need to do is how to better protect the habitat of bees and give them more living space.

Rumor refutation expert: Wang Dehua, researcher at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Secretary-General of the Chinese Zoological Society

Review expert: Huang Chengming, researcher at the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Producer ：Science popularization in China-scientific refutation of rumors