Ideas that change the world.


Human Evolution was the focus of the latest episode (Season 6, Ep. 112) in the Nobel Prize Museum’s podcast series, Ideas that change the world, with Mattias Jakobsson.

We all carry the entire history of humanity in our genes. When researchers examine the DNA of people living today and compare it with the genetic material of those who lived tens of thousands of years ago, a new picture of human evolution emerges – a picture characterised by variation, mixture and diversity.

Geneticist Mattias Jakobsson explains how the technology for which Svante Pääbo received the Nobel Prize is being used to understand how we humans became who we are.


  • Human Past SCAS Fellows 2026-27

    Human Past SCAS Fellows 2026-27

    We’re excited to announce the Human Past Fellows for the academic year 2026-27. We will welcome Jaison Jeevan Sequeira as the Junior Fellow (during the whole academic year 2026-27) and […]

  • Get ready for GLAD education-admission open

    Get ready for GLAD education-admission open

    Under the umbrella of ENLIGHT, we are starting a pilot project to create an integrated, interdisciplinary education on the subject of the Human Past. The project, GLAD (Genetics, Linguistics & […]

  • Call for the Human Past SCAS Fellowships 2027-28 is open

    Call for the Human Past SCAS Fellowships 2027-28 is open

    The Human Past SCAS Residential Fellowship Programme is an initiative by the Center for the Human Past, administered by the Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS). The fellowships are designed […]