S5E11 | Cells and Society at Work: Biomedical & Biopolitical Takes on Immunity

Why do we talk about our immune systems using the language of warfare? Let's discuss immunity from two perspectives that may seem very different: biomedical engineering and biopolitics. In this episode PhDivas Liz and Xine educate each other about their disciplinary knowledge of what "immunity" means. Cells at Work! is a recent anime about what goes on in the human body: Liz explains the science behind their portrayal of viruses and immune processes. Xine talks about how political and legal immunity came before our knowledge of the immune system by drawing upon Ed Cohen's A Body Worth Defending. Bonus: PhDiva Liz's genius comparisons between immune system functions and social media platforms! Cells at Work is on Netflix. Cohen's book is available from Duke University Press. Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/phdivaspodcast