#08 Laura Spinney on the 1918 Flu Pandemic, the Origins of Language, and the Complexity of Identity

Laura Spinney joins Nick Dirks in the latest episode of Shaping Science to discuss how the “Spanish” flu got its name, why societies change over time, and the role of genetics and DNA in understanding language origins in Eastern Europe. Laura Spinney is a science journalist and author whose work explores how science, society, and culture intersect. She is best known for her international bestseller Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World, which redefined how we understand pandemics and their social aftermath. A fluent writer in both English and French, Spinney contributes to The Economist, The Guardian, Nature, and National Geographic. Her latest book Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global traces how one language left the steppes of Ukraine and went on to become the dominant language family on Earth.

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts