2020-03-26: Science History Institute Lecture with Dr. Michal Meyer

Sorry this lecture has been cancelled

The Southern California Section is pleased to welcome Dr. Michael Meyer from Distillations Magazine at the Science History Institute. Her talk includes many images from the Science History Institute’s collections and tells the story of DDT.

Biography: Michal Meyer is editor in chief of Distillations at the Science History Institute. Distillations is an online magazine that aims to connect science, culture and history. Our audience is the curious public and our magazine’s tagline is “Using Stories from Science’s Past to Understand our World.” Michal holds a PhD and a master’s degree in history from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in physics from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Michal has previously worked as a weather forecaster in New Zealand and Fiji, as magazine editor of the Jerusalem Post in Israel, and as editor of the History of Science Society Newsletter at the University of Florida.

Abstract: There are many people today who understand DDT in one dimensional terms, who, if they think about it, view it as the chemical essence of evil, a stand in for all that has been problematic with our relationship with the natural world. However, DDT has had a three dimensional past, one that involves scientists, advertisers, mothers, gardeners, and others. I will be exploring how risk was understood by these different groups from the creation of DDT as an insecticide to its banning via the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

RSVP: The lecture and pizza are free, but we do need to get a headcount for the pizza. If you’d like to attend, please email Nancy Paradiso in the Section Office at office@scalacs.org. by Monday, March 23, 2020. Please indicate whether you’d like to join us for pizza or just attend the lecture.

Parking: For a campus map, please go to https://www.lacitycollege.edu/About/Maps-Parking/Campus-Map to LACC.