As we struggle to control a viral invader that moves silently across the globe and into its victims, we are also besieged by other invasions. Murder hornets have descended upon the Pacific Northwest, threatening the region’s honeybees. In Africa, locust swarms darken the sky. In this episode, we draw on a classic science fiction tale to examine the nature of invasions, and what prompts biology to go on the move.
Guests:
Peter Ksander – Associate professor at Reed College in the Department of Theater. Producer of the spring 2020 production of War of the Worlds
Eva Licht – A senior at Reed College, and producer and director of War of the Worlds
Chris Looney – Entomologist with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, where he manages its general entomology laboratory
Nipun Basrur – Neurobiologist at The Rockefeller University
Amy Maxmen – Reporter at the journal Nature, in which her story about pandemic war games appeared.
Originally aired August 31, 2020
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Home Invasions (rebroadcast) | Big Picture Science podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast
