“In these times” has been a handy turn of phrase in 2020, with varying adjectives used to modify it. Challenging. Unique. Strange. What started as a useful shorthand for the COVID-19 pandemic and the surreal nature of stay-at-home orders became used describe world-wide protests and calls for racial justice. This fall, the OMNIA podcast goes beyond the shorthand, using COVID-19 as a platform for a six-episode series that explores the science, social science, and history that has shaped events in 2020.

To kick things off, we talk to a biologist about contagion. We’ll get insight on mutations, tracking COVID-19’s spread, and protection from antibodies and vaccines. But COVID-19 is more than the disease itself, so we drop in on a conversation between sociologists about health inequality. They’re not surprised that Black, brown, and low-income communities are being affected by COVID-19 at higher rates, but they are concerned about the still-unknown long-term effects on physical and mental health. And finally, a philosopher of science gets real on what high school science gets wrong and why that matters.

Guests:

David Roos, E. Otis Kendall Professor of Biology

Courtney Boen, Assistant­ Professor of Sociology and Axilrod Faculty Fellow

Regina Baker, Assistant­ Professor of Sociology

Michael Weisberg, Professor and Chair of Philosophy

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Produced by Lauren Rebecca Thacker

Narrated and edited by Alex Schein

Interviews by Jane Carroll, Blake Cole, and Lauren Rebecca Thacker

Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18

Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions

Illustration by Nick Matej

Logo by Drew Nealis

In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first season of In These Times. 

Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni. 

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