Bees Take Center Stage at Science for Jazz Seminar

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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has declared 2025 the year of Quantum Science and Technology.

To mark the occasion, UKZN’s proposed Centre for Quantum Computing and Technology has launched a series of monthly seminars where “science combines with jazz” to explore scientific concepts and their societal impact.

Last month’s seminar, “Bees: A Model for Society and More”, inspired interdisciplinary discussions among UKZN biologist Professor Michael Lattorff, storyteller Dr Gcina Mhlophe, musician Thobekile Mbanda and poet Deborah Ewing, exploring the synergies between science and the arts.

Lattorff, who researches various aspects of social insect biology - particularly honeybees - highlighted their importance in honey production, pollination and food security. He noted that 75% of plants require pollination to produce fruit and propagate, and that bees rank as the third most important livestock species after cattle and pigs.

Exploring the fascinating topic of relatedness, Lattorff explained how queen bees produce unfertilised eggs with a single chromosome that develop into males. Female bees, on the other hand, result from eggs fertilised by a drone’s sperm, meaning they inherit 100% of their father’s genes and 50% of their mother’s. As a result, sisters share 75% of their genes, highlighting a high degree of relatedness.

Lattorff discussed the concept of “inclusive fitness”, a term derived from Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. He explained that bees with a higher degree of genetic relatedness are more likely to act in ways that promote the survival of their relatives. ‘Bees will even resort to stinging to protect those they are closely related to,’ he said. ‘Worker bees choose which eggs to rear, and the first queen bee to hatch will actively seek out and kill her sisters - even while they are still in their cells.’

Explaining the process of making honey, Lattorff said bees forage for nectar and evaporate its water content until only honey remains. ‘The pollen collected is used as a protein source for the brood,’ he noted, ‘while the honey serves as a carbohydrate source, providing energy for flying and foraging.’

Lattorff also spoke about the waggle dance, discovered by scientist Karl von Frisch, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his research on bees. He explained that honeybees use a figure-eight movement to indicate the direction and distance of food sources. Insects, he noted, are sensitive to the polarisation of light, which helps them navigate when the sun has shifted or they have travelled far from the hive. ‘Insects can’t see the colour red, but they can see ultraviolet light,’ said Lattorff.

Mhlophe delivered an electrifying performance of her poem Sweet Honey Nights, transporting the audience to a nostalgic scene of her mother bringing a bucket of honey from the fields to their warm rondavel with a thatch roof in the rural plains of the Eastern Cape. After a long day of chores, she and her siblings would gather for a hearty dinner - and, though full, still make room for a sweet honey treat as dessert. 

Mbanda, whose artistry centres on indigenous music, explored the sonic qualities of bees using self-made instruments such as the Aqua Harp. She performed soulful melodies titled, Waggle Dance and The Keepers of Balance.

Reciting poems such as In Honour of Bora, Cockroach, Jade Vine, Daffodils and I Can’t Compete with Bees, Ewing explored the connections that exist between humans and insects.

In his vote of thanks, Research Professor in the School of Chemistry and Physics, Professor Thomas Konrad, expressed his gratitude to the guests and attendees. He remarked, ‘The seminar has given us a valuable opportunity to learn about bees from diverse perspectives, beautifully blending science and art.’

Words: Hlengiwe Khwela

Photograph: Sethu Dlamini