Hi Kathy


> explain more what you meant by that?

The citing of Wenner and Wells' Anatomy of a Controversy yesterday was being offered as an example of the scientific establishment making it difficult to get research it didn't like published.  In this case the accepted view was that von Frisch - though not perfect - essentially had it right on the dance language of the honeybee.  Adrian Wenner believed and believes that bees use odour (correct) and that the information coded into the dance language is not actually interpreted and used by nest-mates.

There have been a number of studies over the years that back up von Frisch, some of these studies rather elegant and convincing.  Like many on the list, I had been exposed to Wenner's ideas and found them appealing.  It wasn't until the list was visited by a disciple of Wenner's that we were made to look at the evidence.  Ruth Rosin visited a few times to try to persuade us that the studies that show that Wenner was wrong were themselves flawed.  The effect of that was that some of us actually read those studies, saw how convincing they were, challenged Rosin's logic and the vigorous debate on the list helped many arrive at a new understanding.

It is still called a 'controversy' but that is really elevating it beyond its real status as very much a (small) minority view.  What was fascinating about the debate we had here was how tenaciously people hold on to cherished views, even when trying to be 'logical'.

Many of the arguments were about the study of Riley and colleagues who watched bees watching the dance for the first time.  Using a transponder, their flight was followed.  Bees always flew in the approximate direction and distance they had been 'told' about by the dancer, even when the breeze was carrying odour trails away from the feeder and even when carried some distance away in opaque tubes.

Here is one fairly polite exchange with Adrian Wenner.  You'll find a large number from Ruth Rosin if you wish to search.

http://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A2=ind0603&L=BEE-L&P=R3234&1=BEE-L&9=A&I=-3&J=on&d=No+Match%3BMatch%3BMatches&z=4

best wishes

Gavin


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