Oct. 27: A Virtual Conversation with Bryn Nelson, author of Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure

[David Levine]

A Virtual Conversation with
Bryn Nelson, author of Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure

Thursday, October 27, at 7 PM EDT on Zoom

On October 27, SWINY co-chair David Levine (@dlloydlevine) will talk with microbiologist and science journalist Bryn Nelson (@SeattleBryn) about his new book Flush: The Remarkable Science of an Unlikely Treasure (Grand Central Publishing), a surprising, witty and sparkling exploration of the teeming microbiome of possibility in human feces.

The future is sh*t: the literal kind. For most of human history we’ve been, well, disinclined to take a closer look at our body’s natural product—the complex antihero of this story—save for gleaning some prophecy of our own health. But if we were to take more than a passing look at our poop, we would spy a veritable cornucopia of possibilities. We would see potent medicine, sustainable power, and natural fertilizer to restore the world’s depleted lands. We would spy a time capsule of evidence for understanding past lives and murderous ends. We would glimpse effective ways of measuring and improving human health from the cradle to the grave, early warnings of community outbreaks like COVID-19, and new means of identifying environmental harm—and then reversing it.

Flush is both an urgent exploration of the world’s single most squandered natural resource and a cri de coeur (or cri de colon?) for the vast, hidden value in our “waste.”

About Bryn Nelson

Bryn Nelson is a Seattle-based writer with an avid interest in biology, biomedicine, ecology, green technology and unusual travel destinations. After receiving his PhD in microbiology from the University of Washington, he shifted course to become a writer. He has since written for more than 30 publications, including Science News for Students, The New York Times, Newsday and Discover. Bryn has contributed to books about science writing, the natural world, and the art and science of cooking. 

Have a question for Bryn you would like answered? Submit it here!

When:
Thursday, October 27
7 to 8 pm EDT

Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-Jd8uG_xQk2TSsDbjW-Iog