The Division of Social Sciences Spring 2023 Luncheon Seminar Series (Brown Bags) Presents:

Mark Stern (EDUC)

Apr 25, 12-1pm

ALANA 101

Title: The Good, The Bad, and The Funky: Fermentation and the Epistemology of the Cellar 

Description: From probiotics to anti-bacterial everything, the entanglement between humans and bacteria are often on the forefront of contemporary conversations about such wide-ranging topics that span from gut health to national security (maybe those aren't so wide-ranging?). Using fermented foods as a starting point, this talk will explore how bacteria have been positioned in public discourse and consider what kinds of epistemologies emerge when thinking about fermentation as a kind of social act and metaphor. This will be a hands-on presentation with an opportunity for participants to make their own sauerkraut to take home with them to care for and, in turn, be cared for by bacteria.