Giant insects come alive as a new immersive museum exhibition

Jason Cryan, executive director of the Natural History Museum of Utah and a trained entomologist, discusses Bug World, a new immersive exhibition opening Feb. 14. Created by the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and built by Wēta Workshop, the experience uses giant insect models, sound, light, and motion to reveal how bugs survive and adapt. Cryan highlights remarkable insect abilities—from camouflage to swarm defense—and explains how scientists are drawing inspiration from them for new technologies. He also reflects on why insects matter so deeply to ecosystems and what makes this exhibition unlike anything NHMU has hosted before.