When Science Reporting Becomes Crisis Reporting
Speaker: Carl Zimmer
Monday, October 12, 2026 at the HFFC Monthly Featured-Speaker Program
7:00 PM program. Hybrid meeting (in-person and virtual)
On Monday, October 12, 2026 Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County (HFFC) will feature Carl Zimmer, who will describe his work as the science columnist for the New York Times for twenty years. This work has taken him from writing about fundamental discoveries about nature to urgent crises—first the Covid pandemic, and now the disruption of American science.
Zimmer’s writing has earned a number of awards, including the Stephen Jay Gould Prize, awarded by the Society for the Study of Evolution. During the Covid-19 pandemic, he contributed to the coverage that won the New York Times the public service Pulitzer Prize in 2021. Zimmer is also the author of fifteen books about science, most recently, Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe. Zimmer is a professor adjunct at Yale’s Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, he teaches seminars on writing and biology lecture courses. He is, to his knowledge, the only writer after whom a species of tapeworm, a mutant strain of bacteria, and an asteroid have been named!
This meeting is free and open to all. Join us in Wilton for the presentation and the social gathering beforehand. (We will supply the address after you register.) Gourmet pizza and refreshments will be served from 6:15-7:00 PM. The presentation will start at 7:00. We will also be recording and broadcasting this meeting virtually via Zoom for anyone who is unable to join us in person; check in is at 6:45.
Register at http://bit.ly/ScienceAsCrisisReporting to attend in person or to receive a link to participate online.
The Humanists and Freethinkers of Fairfield County, Connecticut (HFFC), espouses reason and compassion, and seeks to promote humanism and free thought in our community. It holds monthly featured speaker programs, film events, book discussions, solstice celebrations, charitable activities, and science roundtables. Learn more at hffcct.org