The Silken Thread: Five Insects & Their Impacts on Human History

EVENT DESCRIPTION:
A moth, a flea, a mosquito…
Insects are seldom mentioned in history texts, yet they significantly shaped human history. For example:

• Silkworms (moths) have been farmed to produce silk for millennia, and the Silk Road created a history of empires and cultural exchanges of ideas, philosophies, and religions.
• Fleas and lice carried bacteria that caused three major plague pandemics. Bacteria carried by insects left their ancient clues as DNA embedded in victims’ teeth.
• Lice caused outbreaks of typhus, especially in crowded conditions such as prisons and concentration camps. Typhus aggravated the effects of the Irish potato famine, and Irish refugees took typhus to North America.
• Mosquito-borne yellow fever was transported to the Americas via the trans-Atlantic slave trade, causing panic in the US and creating hazards in constructing the Panama Canal.

Dr. Rob Wiedenmann will explore the impact and common threads connecting these insects. This talk is based on his book, coauthored by J. Ray Fisher: The Silken Thread: Five Insects and Their Impacts on Human History.

Dr. Rob Wiedenmann is Professor Emeritus of Entomology at the University of Arkansas. He received a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and a Ph.D. in Entomology, both from Purdue University. He also worked at the Illinois Natural History Survey, where he focused on biological control of insects and weeds. He is a past-president of the Entomological Society of America.

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COST:
Note: there is no Discount option for this special event
$25.00 GENERAL ADMISSION
$35.00 VIP Premium seating (front center rows)
$45.00 SUPPORTER (premium seating, pint glass (beer not included) and good feelings for supporting the program)

TICKETS: Get tickets!

WHERE ARE MY PEEPS?
This is an unhosted meetup event, but we have a Meetup sign if anyone wants to volunteer to mark a row or two!

IN-PERSON ONLY
We are no longer able to offer a live stream option for our live events. A recording may be available after the event on our Patreon (or sometimes also our YouTube channel) at the speaker's discretion.

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