Cassava viruses - with Alvin Crespo

As a society we have (rightly) spent soooo much time talking and thinking about SARS-CoV-2 but what about the billions of other viruses out there, most of which don't infect humans? This week evolutionary virologist Alvin Crespo talks about cassava mosaic begomoviruses which infect cassava plants, a food crop that is the main source of carbohydrates for the people of sub-Saharan Africa. We talk about where this virus came from, where all viruses may come from, and we also tackle topics related to 'parachute science', the scientific method and its limitations, and whether or not I am a generally ignorant person. It was fascinating learning about plant epidemics but sad to learn about the devastation they cause. However, as Alvin says during our conversation, we can learn a lot from these outbreaks which can hopefully prepare us fo ...