With the global pandemic of Covid 19 still encompassing the word, we are generally not big fans of viruses right now. But we sure are thinking about them a lot. That’s right, even astrophysicists are pondering these bizarre little critters. In fact, astrovirology, although very new, is actually an emerging subfield of astrobiology. And that’s because it turns out viruses don’t just influence organisms – they’re incredibly important on a planetary scale. Perhaps an interplanetary scale.

Virology Links:
Dr. Vincent Racaniello’s Columbia University virology course:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list…

PBS Eons Where do Viruses Come From?

Hosted by Matt O’Dowd
Written by Katie McCormick & Matt O’Dowd
Graphics by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini, & Pedro Osinski
Directed by: Andrew Kornhaber
Camera Operator: Bahaar Gholipour
Executive Producers: Eric Brown & Andrew Kornhaber