In the U.S., the Asian giant hornet recently made its way into the headlines after it was recorded as an invasive species in the Pacific northwest region. Just this month, the New York Times dubbed them “murder” hornets. Matt Alt joins to discuss how a simple translation error might have given the hornet its new macabre nickname. Hosted by Oscar Boyd.

Matt Alt is a Tokyo-based writer, translator and NHK presenter and author of the soon to be published book "Pure Invention: How Japan’s Pop Culture Conquered the World."

Do "murder hornets" really exist? (Matt Alt, The New Yorker)

"Murder Hornets" in the U.S.: The rush to stop the Asian giant hornet (Mike Baker, The New York Times)

In Japan, the "murder hornet" is both a lethal threat and a tasty treat (Ben Dooley, The New York Times)

Stung by a giant hornet (Brave Wilderness, YouTube)

Bug experts dismiss worry about U.S. "murder hornets" as hype (AP, The Japan Times)

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Picture via Wikimedia Commons