09/03/2026
The next Cafe Scientifique Highcliffe talk will be on "The Common Cold: 30,000 Years of the Sniffles", presented by David Miles, infectious disease immunologist.
"Everybody knows what a cold feels like: miserable. The first cold virus was detected in a milk tooth shed over 30,000 years ago and ever since, the common cold has been a bane. Yet while sore throats and blocked noses are annoyingly familiar, the processes that lead to them are not widely known and often misunderstood. Processes like the misdirected immune response that makes us ill with a cold instead of protecting us from illness. Like the way heating a building enhances cold virus transmission. Like the way that most cold viruses can only exist at all thanks to the society we’ve built over the last few millennia. And, most importantly, what we can do about them".
David is an infectious disease immunologist who spent ten years researching immunity to infections and the vaccinations that protect against them in various parts of Africa. David's second book, Sneeze: The History and Science of the Common Cold, will be published in March 2026.
When: Wednesday the 18th of March at 7:30pm. (Doors open from 19:00 - free entry)
Where: The Old School, 254-256 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5ET.
Light refreshments available but feel free to bring food and your favourite tipple (with your own mug/glass) to add to the Café atmosphere.
We look forward to seeing you there,
Cafe Scientifique Highcliffe
