More than just picnic pests, wasps are vital to our ecosystems, but are deeply misunderstood. Joining Professor Philip Schofield in this episode is Professor Seirian Sumner, Professor of Behavioural Ecology and avid defender of wasps. Professor Sumner dissects the evolutionary role of wasps as ancestors of bees and ants, their potential in cancer research, and their overlooked ecological value: making a case for embracing wasps as allies in biodiversity and science.