OLD LYME, CT – The Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) opens the 2022-2023 speakers’ series on Wednesday, Sept. 21, with an informative talk about the coronavirus pandemic and its global implications.
The featured speaker will be award-winning science writer Carl Zimmer (pictured at left) presenting “Science and Research During the Pandemic: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” The talk will take place at 6 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.
Attendees will also be able to join us via Zoom. Learn more and register at secwac.org.
A columnist for The New York Times and the author of 14 books and countless magazine articles for publications such as National Geographic, The Atlantic, and Discover, Zimmer earned a B.A. in English from Yale, where he currently serves as an adjunct professor in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and teaches writing.
The recipient of the 2016 Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded for the Study of Evolution, Zimmer has also won awards from the National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
His 2018 book, She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity (the subject of a fascinating SECWAC talk a few years ago), was named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times Book Review and the best science book of 2018 by The Guardian.
Zimmer’s presentation on Sept. 21 will explore lessons from the influenza of 1918. What did we learn a century ago and what has science and research in the age of coronavirus taught us about controlling the spread, testing, and reporting of disease? What have we learned about the role of multinational cooperation in stemming the spread of a disease that recognizes no borders? How can those lessons prepare us for future pandemics in our interconnected world?
For more than 20 years, SECWAC has been inviting leading global voices to our region to foster a deeper understanding of the world, our country’s international role and diplomatic history, and the policies and actions that impact individuals and communities at home and abroad.
A nonprofit dedicated to discussing issues of global importance, SECWAC presents up to a dozen speakers each year. Events are free for members, students, and educators and $20 for non-members.
Visit secwac.org for registration and membership details and to learn about other upcoming speakers.