When the Covid pandemic hit in early 2020, I got a call from Jad Abumrad, the creator of the podcast Radiolab. In previous years, I had helped him on a number of episodes—about everything from the speed of thought to giant viruses. Now Jad was thinking about what he and his team of producers could offer in the midst of a planetary crisis.
I suggested that he could tell the story of Ignaz Semmelweis, the brilliant, troubled nineteenth-century doctor who recognized that hand-washing could break the deadly chain of disease. Jad invited me to help him create an episode about Semmelweis, which ended with my urging people today to follow his example and break the pandemic’s spread by washing their hands.
Washing your hands is unquestionably a good way to stay healthy. But Covid forced the world to take another look at how to avoid getting sick. Even with clean hands, it’s now very clear, you can inhale an infectious dose of coronaviruses.
As the airborne nature of Covid emerged, I began to explore the fascinating history of our understanding of life in the air. The result was my next book AIR-BORNE. I’m delighted that I can start sharing details about events I have planned to celebrate the launch.
The tour starts on publication day, February 25, with Jad. He will join me on stage at 92NY in New York to talk about the book before a live audience. I would be delighted if people in the New York area could join us for what I’m sure will be a great conversation. You can register here.
Here are some of the other events I've got lined up, with more to come. I will maintain a full list on my website, and will send out more details in future emails.
Videos of Talks Past
This week, three of my recent talks were posted online. I hope you find them interesting.
A conversation with Katalin Kariko about her work on mRNA vaccines, winning the Nobel Prize, and how to deal with failed experiments.
A conversation with Donald Johanson on Lucy, the art of discovering fossils, and six million years of human evolution.
My lecture at Florida Atlantic University on life, artificial intelligence, and old and new hallucinations about what it means to be alive.
A Mammoth Debate
For decades, scientists have been debating whether people arriving in the Americas wiped out mammoths and other megafauna. I wrote a story for the New York Times this week about a new clue to consider: the fossils of a child who lived 12,800 years ago in Montana indicate he lived on a diet rich in mammoth and other big game. (Gift link)
That’s all for now. Thanks for subscribing!
If you'd like to learn more about my books, you can visit my web site
"Friday's Elk" is free. If you'd like to support my writing, you can pay what you'd like for an optional subscription