On 8 September 2026, from 18:00 to 20:00, Lennusadam will host a public lecture by Eva Panagiotakopulu from the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh (UK), exploring insects that have travelled alongside humans for centuries.
From early man-made environments, insects have been constant companions of humans, linked with early settlements and movement. This lecture will provide an overview of research on insects through different case studies, including work on maritime travel and trade. From lice and cockroaches to dung beetles and grain pests, this is an untold story of accidental travellers that changed the world.Eva Panagiotakopulu is a Reader in Palaeoecology at the School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, with expertise in Quaternary Entomology and interests in climate and environmental change, insects and biogeography, synanthropic environments, the spread of farming, and societal collapse. Read more about her research: https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/en/persons/eva-panagiotakopulu/