We cordially invite you to the second session in our DH Asia Webinar series by Dr. Donghyun Woo from Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST).

From viruses that cause zoonotic pandemics to the gut microbes that condition metabolism inside the body, microbes play crucial roles in human health and disease. Increasingly powerful scientific techniques are bringing to light the microbes inside and outside of our bodies and revealing how microorganisms connect individuals and even cross species.

But what to do about the microbes that we live with is a question that cannot be answered by microbiological tools alone. The human impact on the environment, including the consumption of antibiotics that alter the microbiome or the deforestation that increases the risk of emerging pathogens, demands historical and cultural analysis. Calls for closure of wet markets or culling of infected livestock in order to control pathogen spillover raise important questions about cultural differences in human-nonhuman relationships, the evaluation of risk, and the valuation of nonhuman life. Artists and anthropologists provide new tools to help us see the many possibilities of human life amidst the microbiome. After a century of intensive antibiotic use in healthcare and the livestock industry, can we imagine co-existence with microbes? How can we increase public understanding of the microbiome and its impacts on health and environment? What new alliances can be envisioned between microbial cultures and human cultures?

This workshop will initiate a conversation between biologists, anthropologists and artists to discuss venues of critical thinking on relations between microbes and health in a rapidly changing planet. The meeting will provide inspiration for an exhibition project and a collaborative white paper that aim for a reflexive account of microbial cultures.

At the turn of the 20th century, the German organic chemical industry began exporting coal tar-based synthetic dyestuffs to China.

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1 in 2 are confident they will be able to live to 100.

Compared to the importance we attribute today to disinformation our reliable knowledge of its effects is still surprisingly low. The few empirical studies on the impact of disinformation so far mainly refer to the USA and Western Europe. They arrive at largely consistent findings, which seem to contradict the public perception of disinformation.

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Being part of a community unites us with a sense of purpose. With opportunities to connect with people, we feel part of something larger. What are different generations doing to achieve social security?

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