> I don't know how bees determine 
> the vertical slope they need to put 
> into cells so that the honey etc. 
> doesn't run out.   Does anyone know?

At risk of spawning yet another level of arguments, what seems the most firm
proof available that the upward slant of around 13 degrees is a reaction to
gravity, even the micro-gravity of an orbiting space shuttle, where one can
have gravity-like forces pulling both "up" AND "down" from the "keel" of the
space shuttle:

http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/scripts/experiment/exper.aspx?exp_index=914
or
http://tinyurl.com/mhwtwv5
(scroll down and click on "Learn More" under "Objectives")

"For two of the orbiter comb pieces, cells on any one side were angled in
the same direction. For the larger piece, cells on one side were angled up
toward the Lexan top, while on the other side the cells were angled down
toward the BEM floor. The "up-angled" cells had a higher average angle than
the "down-angled." The terms "up" and "down" in microgravity are only
meaningful in relation to the BEM. Another piece, which apparently started
from the BEM floor, displayed a wide range of angles."

So, the slant is by intent of the bees, and it is a reaction to gravity,
often said to be signaled to the bee by the hairs that grow from the
segments in their eyes.
(Bees got hairy eyeballs!) 

And I need to correct myself - I said "one can have gravity-like forces".
One COULD have.  We no longer have a shuttle program.

A very wide diversion for a moment  - 44 years ago, my parents let me stay
up all night to see men walk on the moon. I've stayed up all night many
times since, but it's never seemed quite so special.

45 years ago, I also had a small card with a number on it. The card was
issued by PanAm as a part of the promotion of the movie "2001". The number
was my reservation on a PanAm Shuttle to the Moon, just like in the movie
"2001". It was a real reservation, you could call their reservations number
and confirm it.

I kept that card for decades in a 20-move Chinese puzzle box with my most
prized mementos, but PanAm ceased operations in 1991. And I really wanted
those 478,000 frequent flyer miles, so I checked on my reservation from time
to time when on layover in one tedious airport or another.  The reservation
stayed in the SABRE system until PanAm died.  I even taught myself to
moonwalk in hiking boots so I might be the first guy to actually moonwalk
while moonwalking.

When the last shuttle landed, I had to admit that I'm not likely to live
long enough to even make it into orbit, let alone to the moon.

I've flown high enough to see black space, and see the curve of the Earth,
and I've pulled enough Gs to never want to pull that many Gs ever again. But
I'm not going to see the Earth as a ball, and I'm not going to leave this
planet. I intellectually acknowledged this a while ago, but "the last
shuttle" made it hard to ignore emotionally.

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html