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Penn Hosts Free Event To Discuss Evolution, Spread Of Viruses

By John McDevitt

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- With Ebola and Enertovirus making headlines every day, it's hard not to be concerned. A free event opens to the public later this month on Penn's campus that will explore things like how viruses evolve and spread.

The event is called "A Planet of Viruses: How Humans Can Live Safely on a Viral World."

New York Times science writer Carl Zimmer will not only be talking Ebola, but about other viruses that you may not be so familiar with.

"The fact is that our planet is just seething in viruses," Zimmer says. "They're really the most abundant life form on Earth and they infect everything, and they're bad in some ways and good in other ways."

Zimmer says some of the useful and interesting things about viruses: They can be utilized to deliver medicine's into people's bodies and used to build Nanotechnology.

The event will take place at the Inn at Penn (3600 Sansom Street, Philadelphia) on Wednesday, October 8 from 6-730 p.m. It's free, but registration is required.

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