Skeptics in the Pub - CHASING A MOVING TARGET: VIRUS EVOLUTION

About this event

Chasing a Moving Target: how virus evolution shapes and complicates our defences This month, Scott Thomson will talk about the mechanics of the evolution of viruses from the perspective of evolutionary biology. Using case studies, he will illustrate how different viruses such as measles, influenza and HIV evolve in different ways and how the science, virus evolution and public trust interact. Scott Thomson is a research biologist specialising in Evolutionary Biology, with degrees and post graduate work in Taxonomy and Anatomy specialising in turtles and other vertebrates, both living and fossil. He also has degrees in Political Science and Software Engineering with minors in Mathematics and Statistics, and has studied at the University of Canberra, Australian National University and the Universidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil). He currently holds Research and Teaching Associates with Charles Darwin University, Centro de Estudos dos Quelônios da Amazônia - CEQUA (Brazil) and the Universidade de Sao Paulo. Currently he serves on the IUCN Climate Crisis Commission, the Catalogue of Life Global Team and the Ombuds Commission of the Wikimedia Foundation and is a member of the IUCN Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. From 2015 to 2020 he was Curator of the Chelonian Research Institute with approximately 20 thousand specimens under his care and the most complete collection of turtles in existence. Scott has spent the last 35-odd years finding and describing new species of turtles, and also looking at how species evolve through time and how they go extinct. Viruses, and other rapidly reproducing organisms help form the basis for modelling rates of evolution and hence are integral to these types of studies. He has named 7 species and 3 genera of turtles. \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- On the first Thursday of each month, Australian Skeptics and friends get together for Skeptics in the Pub. People generally start arriving at around 6pm after work. The talk begins at 7pm and lasts for about 30 minutes. The night finishes when the last person leaves. Enjoy a meal and a drink accompanied by lively discussion, free spoon bending lessons and the company of other sceptics, as we cover a variety of interesting topics. There is no need to belong to Australian Skeptics - all are welcome. Bring friends too. Please take a moment to read our Code of Conduct (https://www.skeptics.com.au/code-of-conduct/). REMINDER - If you are feeling ill or showing any signs or symptoms of a possible COVID (or indeed any) infection, please do not attend. Parking is available nearby at: • 71 York Street Car Park (Wilson Parking) • Landmark Car Park (Secure Parking), 24 York Street • 321 Kent Street Car Park (Wilson Parking), ENTRY 86 Sussex Street • Queen Victoria Building Car Park (Wilson Parking), 111 York Street