TED-Ed

Natural pest control ... using bugs! - Shimon Steinberg

TED-Ed

Summary

Marketers are increasingly calling out ineffective advertising spending, referred to as "bull spend," which may look impressive on dashboards but fails to drive actual revenue. This trend highlights the need for businesses to focus on metrics that matter, such as revenue, rather than just impressions. The discussion emphasizes the importance of targeting and effective ad strategies, particularly through platforms like LinkedIn, which offers tools for precise audience targeting.

In a shift toward sustainable agriculture, the conversation also delves into biological pest control, a method that utilizes natural predators to manage pest populations without relying on chemical pesticides. Experts explain how this approach not only reduces chemical usage but also promotes a healthier ecosystem. For instance, predatory mites and parasitic wasps are highlighted as effective agents against common pests like spider mites and aphids, showcasing the potential for biological control to significantly lower pesticide dependency in crops.

The podcast underscores the growing public demand for reduced chemical use in agriculture, prompting growers to adopt biological control methods. It also addresses the industry's potential for growth, with a call to action for more robust biological solutions and increased awareness among agricultural practitioners. The overarching message advocates for giving nature a chance to restore balance in agricultural practices.

Show Notes

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/natural-pest-control-using-bugs-shimon-steinbergUploaded 13-09-13Shimon Steinberg looks at the difference between pests and bugs -- and makes the case for using good bugs to fight bad bugs, avoiding chemicals in our quest for perfect produce. (Filmed at TEDxTelAviv.)Talk by Shimon Steinberg. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from TED-Ed

Oct 24, 2026

There are people who can quickly memorize lists of thousands of numbers, the order of all the cards in a deck (or ten!), and much more. Science writer Joshua Foer describes the technique -- called the memory palace -- and shows off its most remarkable feature: anyone can learn how to use it, including him.Talk by Joshua Foer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/pool-medical-patents-save-lives-ellen-t-hoenPatenting a new drug helps finance its immense cost to develop -- but that same patent can put advanced treatments out of reach for sick people in developing nations, at deadly cost. Ellen 't Hoen talks about an elegant, working solution to the problem: the Medicines Patent Pool. (Filmed at TEDxZurich.)Talk by Ellen 't Hoen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

Explore the science of why Earth’s atmosphere is losing hydrogen, and find out what other leaks could affect life on our planet.--A hydrogen atom is traveling high within the outermost layer of Earth’s atmosphere. This particular atom first entered the exosphere millions of years ago, but today it overcomes Earth’s gravitational pull and escapes, joining the roughly 90 tons of material that leak out of our atmosphere each day. Should we be worried about these leaks? Shannon Odell digs into our planet’s imperfect plumbing.Lesson by Shannon Odell, directed by Eva Münnich, Strange Beast.This video made possible in collaboration with Speed & ScaleLearn more about how TED-Ed partnerships work: https://bit.ly/TEDEdPartnersA special thanks to Mary Kang and Jean-Baptiste Koehl who provided information and insights for the development of this video.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-s-happening-to-earth-s-core-shannon-odellDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-s-happening-to-earth-s-core-shannon-odell#digdeeperAnimator's website: https://www.studiocool.coolMusic: https://www.campstudio.co----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Carsten Tobehn, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu, Gerald Onyango, alessandra tasso, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Eunsun Kim, Phyllis Dubrow, Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique Cassús, Karthik Cherala, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Vignan Velivela, Ana Maria, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh, Abhijit Kiran Valluri, Morgan Williams, Devin Harris, Pavel Zalevskiy, Karen Goepen-Wee, Filip Dabrowski, Barbara Smalley, Megan Douglas, Tim Leistikow, Ka-Hei Law, Hiroshi Uchiyama, Mark Morris, Misaki Sato, EdoKun, SookKwan Loong, Bev Millar, Lex Azevedo, Michael Aquilina, Jason A Saslow, Yansong Li, Cristóbal Moenne, Dawn Jordan, Prasanth Mathialagan, Samuel Doerle, David Rosario and Dominik Kugelmann - they-them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/making-a-ted-ed-lesson-animating-zombies-with-puppetsUploaded 14-07-13What style of animation perfectly mimics the movement of zombies? Puppet animation allows for just the right amount of zombie-like stiff limbs and jerky stumbles. TED-Ed animators show how to bring a zombie to life through 2D puppet animation (and how to try this at home).Lesson and animation by TED-Ed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2026

View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/disappearing-frogs-kerry-m-krigerUploaded 16-09-13Frogs (and amphibians in general) are in danger -- worldwide, nearly one-third of the world's amphibian species are on the verge of extinction. And yet, frogs contribute to our well-being in many important ways. Kerry M. Kriger describes why frogs are in trouble and how you can help save them. Lesson by Kerry M. Kriger, animation by Simon Ampel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

See all episodes →