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How We Create Pandemics, From Our Bodies to Our Beliefs

with Smithsonian Curator Sabrina Sholts

2025-02-04 14:00:00 2025-02-04 15:00:00 America/New_York How We Create Pandemics, From Our Bodies to Our Beliefs An enlightening presentation with Smithsonian curator Sabrina Sholts as she talks about how the very fact of being human increases our pandemic risks—and gives us the power to save ourselves.  Virtual -

Tuesday, February 04
2:00pm - 3:00pm

Add to Calendar 2025-02-04 14:00:00 2025-02-04 15:00:00 America/New_York How We Create Pandemics, From Our Bodies to Our Beliefs An enlightening presentation with Smithsonian curator Sabrina Sholts as she talks about how the very fact of being human increases our pandemic risks—and gives us the power to save ourselves.  Virtual -

An enlightening presentation with Smithsonian curator Sabrina Sholts as she talks about how the very fact of being human increases our pandemic risks—and gives us the power to save ourselves. 

Join us for this enlightening presentation with Smithsonian curator Sabrina Sholts as she talks about how the very fact of being human increases our pandemic risks—and gives us the power to save ourselves. 

The COVID-19 pandemic won't be our last—because what makes us vulnerable to pandemics also makes us human. That is the uncomfortable but all-too-timely message of The Human Disease: How We Create Pandemics, From Our Bodies to Our Beliefs, which travels through history and around the globe to examine how and why pandemics are an inescapable threat of our own making. Drawing on dozens of disciplines—from medicine, epidemiology, and microbiology to anthropology, sociology, ecology, and neuroscience—as well as a unique expertise in public education about emerging infectious diseases, biological anthropologist Sabrina Sholts identifies the human traits and tendencies that double as pandemic liabilities, from the anatomy that defines us to the misperceptions that divide us.

Weaving together a wealth of personal experiences, scientific findings, and historical stories, Sholts brings dramatic and much-needed clarity to one of the most profound challenges we face as a species. Though the COVID-19 pandemic looms large in Sholts's account, it is, in fact, just one of the many infectious disease events explored in The Human Disease. With its expansive, evolutionary perspective, the book explains how humanity will continue to face new pandemics because humans cause them, by the ways that we are and the things that we do. By recognizing our risks, Sholts suggests, we can take actions to reduce them. When the next pandemic happens, and how bad it becomes, are largely within our highly capable human hands—and will be determined by what we do with our extraordinary human brains. A presentation you don’t want to miss, register now!

About the Author:

Sabrina Sholts is a biological anthropologist and Curator of Biological Anthropology at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). Her research explores intersections of human, animal, and environmental health in the past and present. She received her PhD in Anthropology at UC Santa Barbara and was a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley in Integrative Biology and at Stockholm University in Biophysics and Biochemistry. Sholts has published widely in academic journals including American Journal of Biological Anthropology, Environmental Health Perspectives, JAMA, PNAS, Scientific Reports, Proceedings of the Royal Society B, and Nature Ecology & Evolution, and written for popular audiences in Scientific American and Smithsonian Magazine. She was named as a World Economic Forum Young Scientist in 2019. In addition, she was Lead Curator of the exhibition Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World at the NMNH (2018-2022) and a scientific advisor for the related exhibition Épidémies: Prendre soin du vivant at the musée des Confluences in Lyon, France (2024-2025).

AGE GROUP: | Adults |

EVENT TYPE: | Virtual | Lecture | Health and Wellness | Author event |

Wilbraham Public Library

Phone: 413-596-6141

Hours

Today's hours

We're open 9:00AM to 8:00PM

Mon, Mar 10 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Mar 11 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Mar 12 9:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Mar 13 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Fri, Mar 14 9:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Mar 15 9:00AM to 2:00PM
Sun, Mar 16 Closed

About the branch

The Wilbraham Public Library provides resources and opportunities for community learning, recreation, and making connections.

Upcoming Events

Wed, Mar 12, 10:00am - 10:45am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join Renee Coro for musical play!
This event is full

Wed, Mar 12, 11:00am - 11:45am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join Renee for a music class for your preschooler!
This event is full

Wed, Mar 12, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Virtual
Are you ready for a revolutionary guide to getting unstuck and making the changes that matter? Bestselling author Dan Heath will chat about his newest book, Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working. 
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Wed, Mar 12, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Great Decisions, America’s largest discussion program on world affairs, meets weekly on Wednesdays through March 26. Each week will feature a new topic for discussion.

Thu, Mar 13, 10:00am - 11:00am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join us for a fun collection of stories, songs, and fingerplays geared for children ages 3-6.

Fri, Mar 14, 10:30am - 11:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Multi-sensory and exploration
This event is full

Mon, Mar 17, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Let your teen voice be heard! Help the Teen Librarian design the best programs for teens, and recommend YA books and more for the teen Loft.

Mon, Mar 17, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual
Travis Ireland of the Friskey Whiskey Podcast will join us to discuss the history of Irish whiskeys and the best he's encountered!
Register

Tue, Mar 18, 9:30am - 10:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Storytime curriculum and themed play activities.

Tue, Mar 18, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
The monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees.

Wed, Mar 19, 10:00am - 10:45am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join Renee Coro for musical play!
This event is full

Wed, Mar 19, 11:00am - 11:40am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join Renee for a music class for your preschooler!
This event is full

Wed, Mar 19, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Great Decisions, America’s largest discussion program on world affairs, meets weekly on Wednesdays through March 26. Each week will feature a new topic for discussion.

Wed, Mar 19, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
A monthly book discussion facilitated by Assistant Director Mary Bell. Newcomers are always welcome!

Thu, Mar 20, 10:00am - 11:00am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join us for a fun collection of stories, songs, and fingerplays geared for children ages 3-6.

Thu, Mar 20, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Virtual
Author Clara Bingham discusses The Movement, a comprehensive and engaging oral history of the decade that defined the feminist movement, including interviews with living icons and unsung heroes.
Register

Thu, Mar 20, 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
March book selection - Sparks! By Ian Boothby
This event is full

Fri, Mar 21, 10:30am - 11:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Multi-sensory and exploration
This event is full

Sat, Mar 22, 11:00am - 12:30pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Create Van Gogh's Starry Night using only crayons!

Mon, Mar 24, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Monthly meeting on the fourth Monday of the month. Books are available to pick up at the Service Desk; new comers are always welcome.

Mon, Mar 24, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual
Melissa Kravetz shares Ilse's story, deepening our understanding of gendered political resistance by showing what everyday life was like for the wife of a political opponent in Nazi Germany.
Register

Tue, Mar 25, 9:30am - 10:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Storytime curriculum and themed play activities.

Tue, Mar 25, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Teens will learn about 3D art, and use stencils and step-by-step instructions to create their own greeting card.

Wed, Mar 26, 10:00am - 10:45am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join Renee Coro for musical play!
This event is full

Wed, Mar 26, 11:00am - 11:40am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join Renee for a music class for your preschooler!
This event is full

Wed, Mar 26, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Great Decisions, America’s largest discussion program on world affairs, meets weekly on Wednesdays through March 26. Each week will feature a new topic for discussion.

Wed, Mar 26, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Led by Jessica Magill. For questions, contact Jessica: jessicammagill@hotmail.com

Wed, Mar 26, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual
Bestselling author Jennifer Weiner chats about the signature emotional depth of her books that have been inspiring readers toward self-discovery for decades.
Register

Thu, Mar 27, 10:00am - 11:00am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join us for a fun collection of stories, songs, and fingerplays geared for children ages 3-6.

Fri, Mar 28, 10:30am - 11:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Multi-sensory and exploration

Mon, Mar 31, 6:00pm - 6:45pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Don't forget your teddy bear for this special family event!
Registration opens Monday, March 17 2025 at 9:00am

Mon, Mar 31, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual
Mike Reardon, a Guinness Ambassador— a highly trained beer expert and storyteller who captivates Guinness lovers and audiences— will discuss the culinary and cultural history of this fantastic beer.
Register

Tue, Apr 01, 9:30am - 10:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Storytime curriculum and themed play activities.

Tue, Apr 01, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
The daytime monthly book discussion group facilitated by Library Director Karen Ball. New members always welcome!

Tue, Apr 01, 4:00pm - 4:45pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Celebrate the release of the Minecraft movie with activities and crafts!
Registration opens Monday, March 17 2025 at 9:00am

Wed, Apr 02, 4:00pm - 5:30pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Extra date in the event of inclement weather.

Wed, Apr 02, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Meets the first Wednesday of every other month. Participants will make and share dishes from the month’s selected cookbook.

Wed, Apr 02, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual
Highly acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult chats about her newest novel, By Any Other Name. 
Register

Thu, Apr 03, 10:00am - 11:00am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join us for a fun collection of stories, songs, and fingerplays geared for children ages 3-6.

Fri, Apr 04, 10:30am - 11:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Social-emotional skill building!

Sat, Apr 05, 10:00am - 11:00am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Sensory play for children of all ages, abilities and sensibilities with their adult caregiver
Registration opens Monday, March 17 2025 at 9:00am

Mon, Apr 07, 9:30am - 10:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Working toward Kindergarten success!

Mon, Apr 07, 3:30pm - 4:20pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Read aloud to your favorite four-legged friend, Cadence!

Mon, Apr 07, 6:00pm - 7:15pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Bestselling author Paul Clerici will share stories & history about the iconic Boston Marathon.

Mon, Apr 07, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual
Join the growing number of people who are buying from local farms! A panel of farmers will share the benefits of shopping locally grown AND give us suggestions for reputable growers in MA.
Register

Tue, Apr 08, 9:30am - 10:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Storytime curriculum and themed play activities.

Tue, Apr 08, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Virtual
Smithsonian Horticulturalist Matthew Fleming guides us through the secret world of trees as is revealed in The Tree Book: The Stories, Science, and History of Trees.
Register

Tue, Apr 08, 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
The monthly meeting of the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Wed, Apr 09, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Extra date in the event of inclement weather.

Wed, Apr 09, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Calling all builders and engineers!
Registration opens Monday, March 24 2025 at 9:00am

Thu, Apr 10, 10:00am - 11:00am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Join us for a fun collection of stories, songs, and fingerplays geared for children ages 3-6.

Thu, Apr 10, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Virtual
Authors Nikki Payne, Tara L. Roí., and L.E. Sterling will discuss how genre fiction, specifically romance, can have an impact on Climate Action.
Register

Fri, Apr 11, 10:30am - 11:30am
Wilbraham Public Library - Brooks Room
Social-emotional skill building!

Cancelled
Fri, Apr 11, 3:30pm - 4:15pm
Wilbraham Public Library
A fun, informal monthly book club where 6th & 7th graders share our love of reading! The book should be read before each meeting. New members always welcome!