IPFW professors bring the undead to life for ‘Soulless Science’ at Science Central

News release from IPFW:

IPFW Professors Bring the Undead to Life for ‘Soulless Science’ at Science Central

(October 7, 2015) — The undead will come to life, for just a few hours, when three Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) professors take part in “Soulless Science: The Quest for Patient Zero” at Science Central on October 9 from 7 to 10 p.m. This 21-and-over event helps participants prepare for the impending “zombie apocalypse” with a night of fun of pandemic proportions.

Attendees will examine patients and get hands-on with evidence that’s not for the faint of heart. Three IPFW professors will help set the zombie mood:

• Damian Fleming, associate professor, Department of English and Linguistics, will serve as the resident expert on zombies and the undead from the past. Fleming will talk about medieval stories of facing Death and Old Norse stories of wrestling with animated corpses.
• Punya Nachappa, assistant professor, Department of Biology, will explore “Insect Vectors of Zombie Diseases.” Nachappa will run a “skin lesion biopsy station” where visitors will see several parasites, including Leishmaniasis parasite, which is transmitted by sand flies that cause skin sores that you might typically see on zombies. Several insect specimens from the Department of Biology at IPFW will also be on display, including Chagas bugs, mosquitoes, and the tse-tse fly.
• Abe Schwab, associate professor, Department of Philosophy, will discuss ethics of epidemics from social, political, medical, and personal perspectives. For example: What should you do if you suspect that you’ve been infected? Should the government be allowed to quarantine, isolate, or kill you? Schwab will talk with you about these questions and, based on your views, judge your ethicality in response to a zombie epidemic.

Tickets are available online for $20/individual and $35/couple. Tickets sold at the door will be $25/individual and $40/couple. Must be 21 or older to attend. Sponsored in part by WAJI Majic 95.1.

 
Stop the spread of a zombie apocalypse at Science Central’s upcoming adult-only event

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