Unley Town Hall, Adelaide, SA - 6:30 pm start!

Invisible Friends: How Microbes Shape Our Lives and the World Around Us

As the threat of another pandemic looms, all eyes are on microbes: an imperceptible and pervasive threat that hangs heavy in the air and clings to surfaces. But the reality of microorganisms is far more diverse and life-sustaining than such a notion would have us believe. Not only are they omnipresent, but we are highly attuned to their workings – both in the world at large and right here within our own bodies. Meanwhile, cutting-edge microbiome research is changing our understanding of reality, challenging fundamental concepts of free will and individuality. Threaded through everything are microbes: the very glue that holds ecosystems together. This topical and engaging talk counters the prevailing narrative of microbes as the bane of society, providing much-needed clarity on the overwhelmingly beneficial role they play. Discover how the microbiome is highly relevant to environmental issues and how microbes may influence our decisions: even the way we think about how we think may need to be revisited. Invisible Friends introduces the reader to a vast, pullulating cohort of minute life – friends you never knew you had.