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.
Credits
Video by Luke Groskin.
Music by Audio Network.
Additional video courtesy Life in the Carolinas and Avery County Chamber of Commerce.
Photos by New York Herald Tribune
Meet the Producer
About Luke Groskin
@lgroskinLuke Groskin is Science Friday’s video producer. He’s on a mission to make you love spiders and other odd creatures.