Benjamin tenOever Shaping our world : one virus at a time
11h à 12h30
Le séminaire de Benjamin tenOever aura lieu dans la salle Dussane ENS - 45 rue d’Ulm 75005 Paris
Viruses have existed on this planet longer than any other life form. They have guided our evolutionary past, shaped human history, and continue to influence our every day life. From Flu to Ebola, viruses have the capacity to influence life on a global scale. Smallpox alone killed an estimated 500 million individuals between the fourteenth and twentieth century, altering dynasties and influencing the European conquest of the Americas. West Nile virus helped propagate the slave trade, Polio and Measles viruses influenced human migration patterns, and HIV continues to shape the population demographics of entire countries. In addition to these known agents, countless numbers of emerging viruses continue to surface as the human population expands and moves into uncharted virus-laden areas. What threat do these viruses still impose ? What impact will viruses have on our future ? This lecture will focus on our long history with these microbes and discuss how they continue to shape the world around us.