There are thought to be about 17 million living flies for every human alive on Earth.

They’re predators and parasites and pests, but they’re pollinators too. They help us solve crimes, heal wounds, and understand genetics and evolution. And they literally help at least one artist paint his paintings.

Also this hour: A look at David Cronenberg’s 1986 remake of, you guessed it: The Fly.

GUESTS:

• Jonathan Balcombe: Author of Super Fly: The Unexpected Lives of the World’s Most Successful Insects
• John Knuth: An artist
• Gale Ridge: Associate scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
• Jacob Trussell: Author of The Binge Watcher’s Guide to The Twilight Zone; he published the piece “Only Jeff Goldblum Could Make Us Fall in Love with ‘The Fly’” at Film School Rejects

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Colin McEnroe and Cat Pastor contributed to this show, which originally aired August 19, 2021.