Museum presentation delves into wild life of bodies, homes, foods with Rob Dunn, Jan. 25
For immediate release ‐ December 08, 2016
Contact: Jon Pishney, 919.707.8083. Images available upon request
RALEIGH, N.C. — Throughout time, the health and wellbeing of humans has been fundamentally altered by dramatic changes in the species we interact with. Much of this change has been brought on by our own destructiveness. Now, it appears, we are beginning a new, better informed phase of our relationship with other species. Learn about the past, present and future of this interaction when biologist and author Rob Dunn presents “The Wild Life of Our Bodies, Homes and Foods” at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences on Wednesday, January 25, 7 p.m. Free.
“From the beginning of our existence we have killed off the megafauna,” says Dunn, a professor in the Department of Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University and in the Natural History Museum of Denmark at the University of Copenhagen. “Our ancestors wandered alongside, then stabbed, giant sloths. We then tried to kill off the pests of our crops, the pests in our houses and anything microscopic.
“All of this destruction had its advantages, particularly in terms of our control of deadly pathogens. But our actions were too simple, our tools too crude, so in addition to killing off many species that threatened us we also destroyed many on which we depended. Luckily we are now beginning a new phase of our relationship with other species. A phase in which we use all of our best insights to control dangerous species, but in which we also figure out ways to favor the richness of beneficial species.”
Dunn is the author of The Man Who Touched His Own Heart, The Wild Life of Our Bodies, and Every Living Thing, and his magazine work is published widely, including in National Geographic, Natural History, New Scientist, Scientific American and Smithsonian. Dunn’s new book, Never Out of Season, describes the dependence of our crops on biological diversity in its many forms, and is due out in March 2017 (available for pre-order now).
This presentation is offered as a complement to The Secret World Inside You, the Museum’s current featured exhibition. Microbes have often been seen simply as “germs” that cause disease. Yet contrary to this common misconception, most of the microbes that live in your body are vital to keeping your digestive system, your immune system, and even your brain working properly. The Secret World Inside You explores the rapidly evolving science that is revolutionizing how we view human health and understand the inner workings of our bodies. For more information or tickets, visit naturalsciences.org/secretworld. Presentation attendees will each receive a Buy One, Get One Free coupon to the exhibition – bring a friend, and meet your microbes!