11/08/2013

The Myth of the Woolly Bear

3:20 minutes

Legend holds that the length of a woolly bear caterpillar’s color bands can be used to forecast how severe the winter weather will be. The myth dates back to colonial American folklore but was popularized by a 1948 study. SciFri finds out if there’s any truth to the lore, and what the caterpillar’s fuzzy bristles are really used for.

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Luke Groskin

Luke Groskin is Science Friday’s video producer. He’s on a mission to make you love spiders and other odd creatures.

Meet the Producer

About Luke Groskin

Luke Groskin is Science Friday’s video producer. He’s on a mission to make you love spiders and other odd creatures.