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Anthropology Magazine

Season 3

Going Viral

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck humanity. The SAPIENS podcast explores anthropological insights into what this crisis taught humanity about our evolution, how we deal with abstract threats, love and resilience in hard times, and much more.

Trailer

Episode 1 • September 1, 2 min

SAPIENS Is Going Viral

Show Notes

Produced by

House of Pod
SAPIENS

Hosted by

Jen Shannon
Chip Colwell

All Episodes

Episode 2 • May 19, 29 min

Preppers and the Pandemic

Were preppers more prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic than others? The SAPIENS podcast turns to an anthropologist on the inside of the preppers movement to find out.

Episode 3 • May 29, 16 min

Could the Coronavirus Pandemic Be Good for the Environment?

Archaeological research into environmental impacts of the Black Death in Eurasia and historic pandemics among Native Americans during European colonization may provide answers to possible impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.

Episode 4 • June 12, 24 min

Police Violence and the Pandemic

An interview with anthropologist Laurence Ralph, who wrote The Torture Letters, reveals how legacies of anti-black racism connect to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Episode 5 • June 18, 35 min

What Pandemics Leave Behind

In Venice, archaeologists have uncovered the dawn of the modern quarantine—and one of our favorite modern myths.

Episode 6 • July 2, 34 min

The Problem With Abstract Threats

In this episode, anthropologists consider what the novel coronavirus reveals about how humans negotiate crises that seem too big to be real.

Episode 7 • October 14, 24 min

A Vaccine Will Not Be Enough

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep across the globe, biological anthropologist Agustín Fuentes explains how the virus is a “biosocial” phenomenon.

Episode 8 • October 27, 27 min

When at Home, Bake as the Romans Baked

Experimental archaeologist Farrell Monaco takes pandemic-era baking into the deep past by re-creating ancient Roman bread.

Episode 9 • November 12, 26 min

Is the Pandemic Slowing Down Love?

Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and the chief scientific adviser for Match.com, sheds light on how COVID-19 has been affecting the search for love online.

Episode 10 • November 23, 27 min

Moments of Resilience Amid a Pandemic

SAPIENS podcast host Chip Colwell discusses resilience among African American communities with Melanie Adams, of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum.

Episode 11 • December 8, 22 min

A Startling Link Between Neanderthals and COVID-19

Researchers recently announced a discovery that connects Neanderthal DNA and people who experience severe symptoms from COVID-19. Hugo Zeberg, one of the scientists who led the study, speaks with SAPIENS host Chip Colwell.

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