Tastes of Evolution

Over two billion people worldwide already include insects in their diets, not out of necessity but for taste, tradition, and sustainability.
In this talk, Ola shares global insights into the growing trend of edible insects and connects them to a uniquely Swedish context. Drawing from sensory studies and tastings conducted in Sweden, he explores what happens when insects meet the Nordic palate and what it could mean for the future of food here at home.

How did life go from single cells to the incredible diversity we see today? One big reason is that life figured out how to go from single cells to complex, multicellular organisms. During the evolutionary transition from unicellular to multicellular life, previously independent cells began living together in groups. This shift happened many times over evolutionary history, but we still know little about how and why it happened --- especially in its earliest stages.

Early multicellular organisms were simple: just clusters or chains of cells. But even in these early forms, group living introduced new challenges. Cells had to share resources, coordinate reproduction, and sometimes even give up their own fitness for the good of the group. How could such cooperation evolve when it comes at a cost to the individual? I will share how different reproduction strategies can decide whether cooperation thrives or collapses.

Understanding these early transitions helps us grasp the origin of complex life --- but it also has real-world impact. From bacterial biofilms to cancer, the rules of multicellular evolution still shape life today.