Page 155 - The Miracle of the Honeybee

Harun Yahya 153

the cells. If they were built exactly level to the ground, the honey placed in
them would run out. The cells are raised from base to opening at an angle
of 13 degrees, thus preventing them being parallel to the ground. 135
The third angle that bees employ is the angle that connects the cell
bases. This has been a subject of debate among scientists, and it has been
the bees who won.

A Victory for Bees over Scientists: Perfect Tilt Calculation

As you’ve seen, bees make their combs double-faced. The hexagonal
cells are joined to the cells on the other side at the base. Yet the joinings be-
tween the two series of comb cells are a particular marvel of engineering.
The first noticeable feature in this design is the three equilateral
rhombs at the bottom of the hexagonal cell. Every comb cell is designed in
such a way as to be placed at the juncture of the three cells directly on the
opposite side of the comb. This mutually interconnected structure gives
the honeycomb maximum resilience. Just like riveted steel clamps, the
cells that join at the base can be said to be welded to one another.
Scientists examining the honeycomb’s flawless structure have been
amazed at the mathematical calculations performed in such a way that the
bases of three cells form the base of a single cell facing in the opposite di-
rection. This is a design which requires the most complicated mathemati-
cal foresight.
Scientists performing this calculation in a way simi-
lar to what bees must do revealed the very sensitive an-
gles needed to achieve these qualities. According to a
calculation by the well-known mathematician Konig,
the angles at the base must be 109 degrees 26 minutes
and 70 degrees 34 minutes for the most perfect struc-
ture.
Viewed from above, a
What angles do the bees use? Observations have
comb’s cell can be seen
shown that in the construction of the honeycomb, they to be made from a
combination of three
use two exact angles: 109 degrees 28 minutes and 70 de-
equilateral rhombs.

Adnan Oktar