Taylor Swift: Millipede's Version
The Swift-inspired insect is one of the topics on the agenda at a major conference in Liverpool later
Last updated 12th Jun 2024
A millipede, named after Taylor Swift, is set to be discussed at a major conference in Liverpool later.
‘Tay-Day’ has been organized by academics at the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Popular Music, bringing together speakers to talk about the different impacts the singer has had on society.
One of those topics is a millipede, named after the pop star in 2022.
The “Nannaria swiftae,” commonly known as the “Swift twisted-claw millipede” or “Taylor Swift’s millipede,” was discovered and named in 2022.
The researchers who discovered it said at the time they named the millipede in honour of Taylor Swift to recognize her talent and the enjoyment her music has brought them.
One of the researchers even credited Swift’s music with helping him through the highs and lows of school.
Dr. Samuel Murray, one of the organizers of Tay-Day, said:
“The event aims to look at this cultural phenomenon from many different lenses.
A colleague of ours, Dr. Hannah Little, is going to be talking about the millipede. Immediately, people are going to be like, why is there a millipede here?
“Well, if you name these insects, these rare creatures, after a celebrity, people will be able to engage more easily, learn about them, and preserve them for years to come.
Maybe Taylor Swift’s legacy is going to be all of these millipedes all over the world!”
Tay-Day will also focus on the singer’s impact on cultural issues, Sam continued:
“We’ve also got people talking about her impact on feminism, the queer community, and the impact on vinyl records…
“There are so many different ways you can look at this, and what we’ve tried to do for this conference is make it a really simple route into a whole wide range of big issues around popular music and popular culture.”