Science Historian, Film Producer, & Science Advisor to Orphan Black

A screening and artist's talk prepared and presented by Cosima Herter—history-of-science scholar, film producer, and scientific advisor to Orphan Black, the critically-acclaimed and award-winning BBC America sci-fi thriller series about clones and corporate science. (Herter is also a real-life intellectual model for the series' fictional character of "Cosima," one of the clone "sisters" portrayed by Emmy-winning actor Tatiana Maslany.)

The real-life Cosima will show excerpts from Orphan Black and contextualize the stories with some of her referents and influences: scientists like Charles Darwin and Richard Lewontin, writers like Aldous Huxley and Margaret Atwood, and techno-scientists like Paul Allen and George Church. Herter's current documentary project on bio-hacking continues her avant-garde exploration of complex ethical and philosophical issues in contemporary bio-sciences. Herter lives and works in Toronto.

This event at Hallwalls—FREE and open to the public—is an opening night and plenary component of the two-day interdisciplinary symposium, Microbial Aesthetics, mostly taking place at and organized by the University at Buffalo. See poster for details or go to the website.

UB's Colesce Center for Biological Art is the newest partner for Hallwalls' popular Science & Art Cabaret series, which just this past month celebrated the start of its 8th season.