About this episode
A year and a half into the pandemic, we still don’t know how it began. This week, a look at how investigating COVID-19’s origins became a political and scientific minefield. Plus, how a mistake of microns caused so much confusion about how COVID spreads. And, making sense of the "metaverse." 1. Alina Chan [ @Ayjchan ], postdoctoral researcher at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, on the lack of investigation into COVID's origins. Listen. 2. Megan Molteni [ @MeganMolteni ], science writer at Stat News, on the 60-year-old mix-up that helped COVID-10 kill. Listen. 3. Gene Park [ @GenePark ], gaming reporter for The Washington Post , on what the "metaverse" really means. Listen. 4. Margaret Atwood [ @MargaretAtwood ], novelist, on submitting a manuscript to a library of the future. Listen . Music from this week's show: Sacred Oracle - John Zorn Eye Surgery - Thomas Newman The Old House - Marcos Ciscar Tomorrow Never Knows - Quartetto d’ Archi Dell'orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi 72 Degrees and Sunny - Thomas Newman Viderunt Omnes - Kronos Quartet Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today ( https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm ). Follow our show on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.