Outreach

Community outreach and involvement is a vital part of Dr. Beckerson's work. He frequently volunteer to speak with K-12 classrooms about a variety of biology topics including GMOs, Evolution, Symbioses, the Food Web, Fungi, Pathogens, Viruses and Vaccination (including SARS-CoV-2), and of course Zombie Ants!

If you would like to schedule a time for Dr. Beckerson to speak with your group, please email him in the CONTACT tab!

31 Days of Zombie Science!

To celebrate Halloween, we are taking a look at how biology is portrayed in some of the most popular zombie movies! Click on your favorite movie to learn more about topics like disease transmission, pathogen evolution, quarantine, and of course, behavior manipulation. Each movie will focus on 1 major biological theme, so it's worth reading them all. And if you feel up for an extra challenge, try watching the movies along with us before reading the reviews.

If you have a favorite zombie movie that wasn't covered in this list, send your recommendations to Dr. Beckerson via the CONTACT link and he will review it!

Contact

Science for Kids!

Check out this wonderful adaptation of our paper "Mechanisms Behind the Madness," available for upper and lower reading levels, multiple languages, and even in text-to-speech formats! Written specifically with kids in mind.

Read it now!

Listen here!

Community Events!

Here are some of the upcoming and past local public engagement events! You can learn more about them, and even sign up for upcoming events, by clicking on the details button next to each event.

Mon, May 13
Pint of Science Netherlands
Utrecht
Details
May 13, 2024, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM GMT+2
Utrecht, Oudegracht 50, 3511 AR Utrecht, Netherlands
What would you say if I told you zombies were real? Not the dead come back to life mind you, but the kind infected by parasites, like in the film 28 Days Later or the television series the Last of Us! Join me over a pint to discuss the fascinating biology behind zombie fungi!
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Fri, Jun 03
Orlando MegaCon: Examining the Science Behind Zombie Movies
Orlando
Details
Jun 03, 2022, 12:00 PM – Jun 04, 2022, 12:45 PM
Orlando, 9400 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819, USA
Join us as we take a closer look at several zombie flicks and talk about the science the movies got right and where they missed. Together, we will explore the various ways that zombies are portrayed in pop culture media, culminating with the introduction of real-life zombies, the zombie ant!
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Thu, May 12
Taste of Science Festival: Real-life Zombies and Where to Find Them!
https://tasteofscience.org/events/zombie-an
Details
May 12, 2022, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EDT
https://tasteofscience.org/events/zombie-an
While zombie movies are firmly based in a realm of make-believe, sometimes the truth is even stranger than fiction. The fungal pathogen Ophiocordyceps is a microbe that is able to infect and manipulate the behavior of their insects hosts, making them a real-life example of zombies as portrayed in mo
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Fri, Feb 18
ZombieAntVR Debut at Otronicon
Orlando
Details
Feb 18, 2022, 9:30 AM EST – Feb 21, 2022, 8:00 AM EST
Orlando, 777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803, USA
Come join us at the Orlando Science Center to test the beta version of ZombieAntVR! Get your tickets at https://www.osc.org/otronicon/
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Sat, Oct 30
Zombie Ant Hunt at the Chuluota Wilderness Area
Chuluota Wilderness Area
Details
Oct 30, 2021, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EDT
Chuluota Wilderness Area, 3895 Curryville Rd, Chuluota, FL 32766, USA
Come join us on a hike through the Chuluota Wilderness Area in search of Zombie Ants! Fun for all ages.
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Thu, Oct 28
StemCONNECT Spooky Month Seminar!
https://global.gotowebinar.com/join/notStar
Details
Oct 28, 2021, 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM EDT
https://global.gotowebinar.com/join/notStar
Join us online as we talk about real-life zombies and where to find them!
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Wed, Oct 27
Orlando Science Center's Pumpkins and Protons Party
Orlando Science Center
Learn more
Oct 27, 2021, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT
Orlando Science Center, 777 E Princeton St, Orlando, FL 32803, USA
The Orlando Science Center's annual Halloween event is back with an all-new name: Pumpkins & Protons Party! Bring in your entire clan of monsters for a safe night of Halloween fun, great for creatures of all ages. Note that this particular event is for Orlando Science Center members only.
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Fri, Aug 13
Orlando MegaCon: The last damn zombie panel you'll ever need!
Orlando
Details
Aug 13, 2021, 2:00 PM EDT
Orlando, 9800 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819, USA
Join us for the last damn zombie panel you'll ever need to learn about real-life zombies and what we should do about it!
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The Zombie Fungus Foray

Screen Shot 2021-09-29 at 9.18.55 AM.png

Welcome to the Zombie Fungus Foray, a community science initiative in collaboration with the University of Central Florida for the discovery of Ophiocordyceps species! Ophiocordyceps are parasitic fungi that infect many species of insects globally, and while they typically go unnoticed, their life style is nothing short of amazing. These fungi, also known as "Zombie Fungi", infect their hosts and secrete mind-altering substances that cause the insects to behave in a way that is optimal for dispersal of fungal spores.

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The Zombie Fungus Foray utilizes the free-to-use app from National Geographic and the California Academy of Sciences, iNaturalist. iNaturalist allows the user to take pictures of wildlife and upload them to a database where they can be used for real life science. The app will analyze the image in real time and offer suggestions for what type of organism it in your picture, making it an excellent tool for learning about the world around you!

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The app also keeps GPS coordinates of uploaded pictures, allowing users to find certain organisms in their area. The Zombie Fungus Foray uses these GPS coordinates to lead "Zombie Ant Hunts" in the local community. Learn more about UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS at the top of this page!

Learn more about the Zombie Fungus Foray at our website: https://wcbeckerson.wixsite.com/thezombiefungusforay

Outreach

31 Days of Zombie Science!

Science for Kids!

Community Events!

The Zombie Fungus Foray

Past and Current Funding