3Qs at the U with Science Sam – (Ep. 1) Anthropologist Madeleine Mant

Did you know that 17th century plague doctors wore scary bird-like masks? Why would they do that? 

In episode one of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a University of Toronto alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with U of T anthropologist Madeleine Mant about the 17th-century plague doctors and their bird-like masks. 

“I know there's the phrase ... ‘history doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes’ – well understanding the past is so critical because it gives us the chance to learn,” says Mant, a lecturer at U of T Mississauga who combines medical anthropology and medical history research with a theatrical twist. “COVID-19 itself as a disease is new, but looking back can remind us that human societies have faced massive crises before and survived.”

3Qs at the U is a weekly video series in which Yammine asks a U of T researcher three questions on a timely topic. It’s produced by U of T Scarborough Interactive Digital Producer Cory Lawrence.

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