Insects surround us. They fuel life on Earth through their roles as pollinators, predators, and prey, but rarely do we consider the outsize influence they have had on our culture and civilization. Their anatomy and behaviors have inspired the way we live, work, create art, and innovate. Our world would look very different without insects, not just because they are crucial to our ecosystems, but because they have shaped and inspired so many aspects of what makes us human. 

Drawing from examples that span cultures and centuries, Barrett Klein explores how insects have inspired human ingenuity, from architecture and engineering to mythology, fashion, music, medicine, and emerging technologies. The insect world has quietly left its mark on human civilization in ways most of us never imagine.

Join us for a fascinating journey into the surprising connections between humans and our six-legged allies, and discover why seeing insects in a new light may change the way you see the world itself.

About The Speaker:

Barrett Klein is an entomologist, artist, educator, and award-winning science communicator whose work explores the remarkable connections between insects and human culture. His research has ranged from the mysteries of sleep in insect societies to the behavior of honey bees, while his creative work celebrates the beauty and diversity of the insect world through art, exhibitions, and public engagement.

Barrett studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona, fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, earning his PhD studying honey bees at the University of Texas at Austin, and later spearheaded the Pupating Lab at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse. He is the author of The Insect Epiphany: How Our Six-Legged Allies Shape Human Culture, a critically acclaimed exploration of the extraordinary ways insects have influenced art, architecture, engineering, medicine, music, literature, and countless other facets of human life. Through his work, Barrett invites us to see insects not as tiny creatures at the edge of our awareness, but as extraordinary collaborators in the human story. 

A passionate advocate for biodiversity, and the intersection of science and art, Barrett believes that by embracing the beauty, ingenuity, and ecological importance of insects, we can transform our lives and our world.