ScienceWhys: Questions at the Confluence of Science and Ethics

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 speci...

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 Connect with the Nobel Conference on social media: Facebook at ⁠https://www.facebook.com/NobelConference⁠ Instagram a...

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...

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 toge...

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 can play in the future of food security for the world. Sources: Statista How Bug Farming is Changing the Food Economy The Breeding of Edible Insects Compared to the Production of Meat The Food th...

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: ‘Windshield effect’ taken to new extremes in U.N. biodiversity report What is climate change? Worldwide decline of the entomof...

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...

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 appr...

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...

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 o...

Lisa Heldke, Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus and Director, The Nobel Conference, introduces the 2023 topic.  Humans’ lives are inextricably connected with insects’, in ways that both benefit and harm us (and them). Insects also have their own lives that have nothing to do with us humans–but from which we might be able to learn a great deal. If we observe, contemplate, and recreate facets of in...

Professors and scientists discuss the idea of "basic science" in observation of World Science Day.

Daniel Eisenberg’s  campus host, Vita Faychuk talks about why she is looking forward to the Nobel Conference. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Lui’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel Conference, Mental Health (In)Equity and Young People, at Gustavus Adolphus College September 28 & 29, 2022. The Nobel Conference: Science and Et...

How can entire college communities best support the mental health of young people? Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus interviews Daniel Eisenberg, Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, UCLA. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Eisenberg’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel...

Nic Rider’s campus hosts talk about why they’re looking forward to the Nobel Conference. Professor Darsa Donelan and Gustavus Adolphus College student Jay Michelizzi  share a conversation with Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Rider’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel Conference, Menta...

Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus interviews G. Nic Rider, Assistant Professor, Program in Human Sexuality and Coordinator, Adult Transgender Health Services Program, Program in Human Sexuality, University of Minnesota ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Rider’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 20...

Priscilla Lui’s campus hosts talk about why they’re looking forward to the Nobel Conference. Professor Heidi Meyer and Gustavus Adolphus College student Lily Torres Fernandez share a conversation with Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Lui’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel Conference, Ment...

Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus interviews Priscilla Lui, Associate Professor of Psychology, Southern Methodist University. In her discussion about everyday racism or microaggressions, Lui mentions the original paper that discussed microaggressions. That paper is “Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice,” by...

Manuela Barreto’s campus hosts talk about why they’re looking forward to the Nobel Conference. Professor Thia Cooper shares a conversation with Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Barreto’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel Conference, Mental Health (In)Equity and Young People, at Gustavus Ad...

Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus interviews Manuela Barreto, Professor of Social and Organizational Psychology, University of Exeter. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Barreto’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel Conference, Mental Health (In)Equity and Young People, at Gustavus Adolph...

Joseph Gone’s campus hosts talk about why they’re looking forward to the Nobel Conference. Professor Nissa Parmar shares a conversation with Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Gone’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel Conference, Mental Health (In)Equity and Young People, at Gustavus Adolphus...

Learn more about indigenous community members who alter mental health services to fit a broader swath of their community. Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus interviews Joseph P. Gone, Professor of Anthropology and of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard University. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Gone’s lect...

Brendesha Tynes’s campus hosts talk about why they’re looking forward to the Nobel Conference. Professor Amy Vizenor and Gustavus Adolphus College students Cara Gardner and Dayna Krause share a conversation with Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference. During our discussion, Dayna mentioned the work of psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark, whom she first learned about in her high school psy...

Learn more about young people’s experiences of technology, and the impact those experiences have, especially for Black and Brown youth. Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference and Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus interviews Brendesha Tynes, Dean’s Professor of Equity and Professor of Education and Psychology, University of Southern California. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Confe...

Meryl Alper’s campus hosts talk about why they’re looking forward to the Nobel Conference. Professor Sarah Wolter and Gustavus Adolphus College student Abby Ludwig share a conversation with Lisa Heldke, Director of the Nobel Conference. ScienceWhys is the podcast of the Nobel Conference. Listen to Dr. Alper’s lecture and participation in panel discussion at the 2022 Nobel Conference, Mental Health...