Soho Forum Debate: Matt Ridley vs. Stephen Goldstein

Monday, July 15, 6:30 PM ET

Matt Ridley vs. Stephen Goldstein

Resolution:

It is likely that the SARS-CoV-2 virus originated in the Wuhan laboratory in China.

For the Affirmative:

Matt Ridley's books have sold over a million copies, been translated into 31 languages, and won several awards. His books include The Red Queen, Genome, The Rational Optimist, and How Innovation Works. "Viral: the search for the Origin of Covid-19", co-authored with Alina Chan, was published in 2021. He sat in the House of Lords between 2013 and 2021 and served on the science and technology select committee and the artificial intelligence select committee. He created the Mind and Matter column in the Wall Street Journal in 2010, and was a columnist for the Times 2013-2018. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and a foreign honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

For the negative:

Dr. Stephen Goldstein is a virologist at the University of Utah conducting research on coronavirus evolution. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, where he conducted research on the biology of MERS-CoV, a zoonotic virus first identified in 2012. Over the course of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic Dr. Goldstein has engaged with the Utah Department of Public Health, University of Utah Health, and local and national media to provide scientific expertise. He has co-authored reviews and original research papers on the origin of SARS-CoV-2.

About the Event:

Debate Location:

The Sheen Center

18 Bleecker Street

New York, NY 10012

Debate Details:

6:00 PM: Doors Open

6:30 PM: Meeting Convenes

Reception Location:

Gene Epstein & Hisako Kobayashi's Apartment

55 Great Jones Street

Reception Details:

8:00 PM: Doors Open

Food and drink are included with a Reception ticket

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