Didn’t think collecting could be more than just a hobby?

Lisa Heldke—Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus, interviews entomological taxonomist and evolutionary biologist Jessica Ware—Associate Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. Her research focuses on the identification and grouping of insects to assess how different species have evolved over time and across geographical locations. Ware is also one of the founding members of Entomologists of Color, which aims to support POC in the field of entomology and encourage more participation.

In this interview, Ware helps us understand the value that collecting insects and studying entomology have held throughout history. This discussion highlights how people across time and cultures have been fascinated by insects, and that this curiosity has opened up doors for us to evaluate biodiversity and population change into today. Ware also emphasizes the importance of more accessible entomological collections and paths to studying entomology going forward. Sparking both wonder and critical questions about the natural world can draw in new perspectives to help solve the world’s most pressing issues—many of which are intertwined with insects.

Find us at ⁠https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference⁠ [https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference]

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at ⁠https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference]

Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/]

TikTok at ⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en]https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en%E2%81%A0]


Curiosity, Community, and Collecting in Entomology: An Interview with Jessica Ware

A podcast takeover by students in a course dedicated to helping plan the Nobel Conference, and taught by conference co-chair, biology professor Margaret Bloch Qazi. This episode explores the roles insects play as vectors of disease.

Find us at ⁠https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference⁠ [https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference]

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at ⁠https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference]

Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/]

TikTok at ⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en]https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en%E2%81%A0]

Voracious Vectors: The Dark Side of Insects

How can insects help with feeding a hungry world?



Lisa Heldke—Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus, interviews molecular biologist and plant pathologist Segenet Kelemu—Director of the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Nairobi, Kenya. Her research focuses on the role of insects in eliminating food insecurity and poverty, alongside improving agricultural practices. Through her leadership, she aims to expand the projects of ICIPE and to model sustainability on a global scale.



In this interview, Kelemu explores her “one-health” approach—how interconnected ecological issues can be tackled at once for the benefit of the whole environment. This discussion highlights the importance of integrated systems for the future of worldwide sustainability and food security, along with advocating for engaging more young people and women in scientific fields. 



Find us at ⁠https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference⁠ [https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference]

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at ⁠https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference]

Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/]

TikTok at ⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en]https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en%E2%81%A0]


Improving Agriculture through Insects

Have you ever eaten an insect…on purpose?



The odds are you probably haven’t, but Julie Lesnik aims to change that. In fact, Lesnik believes that people must begin to overcome this disgust felt towards insects in order to win out against climate change, population growth, and dwindling resources. Lesnik researches the roles that insects have played as food in our prehistoric ancestors bringing together anthropology, paleontology, and biology. Additionally, she utilizes those works to help normalize and encourage people to try eating insects, at least those of us who are not part of the 2 billion people who do not have insects in our diet yet.

In this interview, Lisa Heldke talks to Julie Lesnik about how those two sides of Lesnik’s work interact. They explore how scientists came to the conclusion that early hominids did, in fact, regularly consume insects, how anthropology can be decolonized, why some people are disgusted by the thought of insects as a food source, and how we can overcome that disgust.



You can look at the book mentioned in this episode, Insects as Human Food by F.S. Bodenheimer, here [https://www.amazon.com/Insects-Human-Food-Chapter-Ecology/dp/9401757674].



Find us at https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/

Tiktok at https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en

Insects as Food for Humans in the Past, Present, and Future

A podcast takeover by students in a course dedicated to helping plan the Nobel Conference, and taught by conference co-chair, biology professor Margaret Bloch Qazi. This episode explores the important role insects may play in the future of the food industry—including the economic, environmental, nutritional, and ethical benefits of entomophagy.



Sources:

 1. Statista [https://www.statista.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwt52mBhB5EiwA05YKoxfx0tBzObCUPabS5Lq8Gztgpg4FDQQxs39EJzoG8T1ilXSjnh6TohoCHocQAvD_BwE]

 2. How Bug Farming is Changing the Food Economy [https://www.marketplace.org/2014/11/25/how-bug-farming-changing-food-economy/]

 3. The Breeding of Edible Insects Compared to the Production of Meat [https://www.next-food.net/the-breeding-of-edible-insects-compared-to-the-production-of-meat/]

 4. The Food that Can Feed, and Maybe Save, the Planet: Bugs [https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/25/health/insects-feed-save-planet-wellness/index.html]

 5. Food Science & Nutrition [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20487177]

 6. Medical News Today [https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/]

 7. Crickster [https://www.eatcrickster.com/]

 8. VeryWell Fit [https://www.verywellfit.com/]

 9. Edible Insects: Future Prospects for Food and Feed Security [https://www.fao.org/3/i3253e/i3253e.pdf]



Find us at ⁠https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference⁠ [https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference]

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at ⁠https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference]

Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/]

TikTok at ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en]


Insects and the Future of Food Security

A podcast takeover by students in a course dedicated to helping plan the Nobel Conference, and taught by conference co-chair, biology professor Margaret Bloch Qazi. This episode explores the role climate change and other factors play in the loss of insect species.

Sources:

 1.  ‘Windshield effect’ taken to new extremes in U.N. biodiversity report [https://news.cornell.edu/media-relations/tip-sheets/windshield-effect-taken-new-extremes-un-biodiversity-report]
 2.  What is climate change? [https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change]
 3.  Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers  [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320718313636]
 4.  Weaving insect wildlife back into the tapestry of life [https://theconversation.com/weaving-insect-wildlife-back-into-the-tapestry-of-life-132535]
 5.  What are insects and why do we need them? [https://www.huck.psu.edu/institutes-and-centers/insect-biodiversity-center/why-we-need-insects]
 6.  Reversing Pollinator Decline is Key to Feeding the Future [https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2016/06/24/reversing-pollinator-decline-key-feeding-future]
 7.  Weaving insect wildlife back into the tapestry of life  [https://theconversation.com/weaving-insect-wildlife-back-into-the-tapestry-of-life-132535]
 8.  Encyclopedia of Insects.
 9.  The Economic Value of Ecological Services Provided by Insects [https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/56/4/311/229003]
 10. Why Are Swarms Of Locusts Wreaking Havoc In East Africa? [https://www.npr.org/2020/02/21/807483297/why-are-swarms-of-locusts-wreaking-havoc-in-east-africa]
 11. Responses of forest insect pests to climate change: not so simple.  [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214574519300227]
 12. Pests that Love Moisture. [https://thebiggreenk.com/blog/11-pests-that-love-moisture/]
 13. Climate change could speed mosquito evolution  [https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2019/04/climate-change-could-foster-rapid-mosquito-evolution/]
 14. Eight simple actions that individuals can take to save insects from global declines  [https://www.pnas.org/content/118/2/e2002547117]



Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/

Tiktok at https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en

Climate Change and Other Threats To Insects

What would it take for you to love insects?



Lisa Heldke interviews Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson, who wants people to reconsider how we think and feel about insects, not just because of their integral role in our ecosystems but also because of the ways they affect our everyday life in unexpected ways. Sverdrup-Thygeson is an ecologist and conservation biologist who often appears on radio and TV in Norway as a science communicator and globally to spread a message of appreciation, respect, and even love for insects. She is also a best-selling author with her book Extraordinary Insects, which has now been translated into over two dozen languages. Sverdrup-Thygeson is currently a Professor of conservation biology at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and a Scientific Advisor to the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research.



In this interview, Sverdrup-Thygeson talks about why insects are so important for the global ecosystem, as well as how we can better bridge the gap between the scientific understanding of the significance of these little creatures and the everyday experiences we all have with them. The role of policy-making and communication surrounding insects and overall biodiversity are also discussed as vital ways to ensure insects are respected and protected.



You can look at the latest report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) here.

And check out Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson’s newest book, Tapestries of Life, on Amazon or wherever you get your books.



Find us at https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/

Tiktok at https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en

Why You Should Love Insects

Didn't think insects could be relatable?

Lisa Heldke—Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus, interviews chemical ecologist Shannon Olsson—faculty member at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Her research is focused on understanding the perspective of insects through interdisciplinary methods and empathetic approaches. Olsson is the principal investigator at the Naturalist Inspired Chemical Ecology (NICE) Lab, which aims to tackle questions centered around the perspectives and behaviors of other lifeforms, with a focus on insects. 

In this interview, Olsson helps us think about how policy, science, and individuals can benefit from thinking about the perspectives of insects and other lifeforms—taking our similarities and differences into account. This discussion highlights the value in considering how life has evolved out in nature rather than solely in a lab, and how this knowledge can drive important developments going forward, such as sustainability efforts.

Find us at https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/

TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en


How to Think Like a Fly

Do you ever jump or run when you see an insect near you?

Well, you're not alone. Entomophobia, or the fear of insects, is one of the most common phobias that people experience, especially in places like the United States. While symptoms can be extremely varied, there are many ways to overcome entomophobia, and in fact, there can even be some benefits.

A group of students from biology professor Margaret Bloch Qazi's spring 2022 class about this year's Nobel Conference interviewed Jeff Lockwood to talk to him about the origins of entomophobia and how to overcome it. Kellert is a professor of natural sciences and humanities at the University of Wyoming. In this interview, the students look at why entomophobia is so common, how it can be treated and how our world can be better if we engage with insects more positively.

Find us at https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference



Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:



Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference



Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/



Tiktok at https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en

Conquering Entomophobia: The Fear of Insects

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a bee?

Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus, interviews philosopher Jonathan Birch. His research focuses on examining the sentience of insects, as well as cephalopods and crustaceans, and delves deep into what these creatures feel and how they experience the world. Birch is the principal investigator of The Foundations of Animal Sentience, an interdisciplinary group that examines how sentience relates to behavior and how sentience and welfare are connected with respect to how animals can be treated ethically.

In this interview, Birch helps us explore what it means for insects to be sentient and the ramifications of that question in public policy and in personal ethics. Additionally, this discussion examines the relationship between humans and insects and how that relationship can be changed when we look at insects as conscious and feeling beings.

Find us at https://gustavus.edu/nobelconference

Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media:

Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference

Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/nobel_conference/

Tiktok at https://www.tiktok.com/@nobelconference?lang=en

Inside The Mind Of An Insect

Lisa Heldke (@heldke) · Zencastr

Lisa Heldke (@heldke)

When big scientific questions meet big ethical questions, the waters can get pretty choppy. Lisa Heldke, philosopher and director of the Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College, interviews scientists, researchers, scholars and thinkers about how science and ethics mingle, eddy, roil and churn in their own work. The podcast for anyone who hears about a scientific breakthrough and thinks “what are the downstream consequences of that?”

ScienceWhys: Questions at the Confluence of Science and Ethics