The TRIPS Patent Waiver and Communicating Science Differently ft. Sabrina McCormick

March 23, 2022

TRANSCRIPT

In this episode, Shobita and Jack discuss this uncertain moment in the pandemic around the world, including the latest negotiations related to the TRIPS patent waiver related to COVID vaccines. They consider emerging efforts to develop a "pangenome" that emphasizes human genetic diversity. And they chat with Professor Sabrina McCormick, a scholar, policymaker, and filmmaker, about her efforts to advocate for climate change action in creative ways.

Study Questions:

1. What it the TRIPS patent waiver and how might it influence global vaccine equity?

2. Why is it important to use storytelling to talk about important science and technology issues

3. Why are there pressures to “deanimate science”, as Bruno Latour puts it, and what are the benefits and drawbacks of that?

4. What role does emotion play in scientific research?

5. What kind of storytelling related to climate change do you think is ineffective? Effective?

Related links:

• Roxane Khamsi (2022). "A more-inclusive genome project aims to capture all of human diversity." Nature. 16 March.

• Sequestra film (2020).

• The Years of Living Dangerously film (2014).

• The Years of Living Dangerously, Bringing Climate to the Classroom (2016).

• www.sabrinamccormick.com

• www.resilienceentertainment.com