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Did you know that 17th century plague doctors wore scary bird-like masks? Why would they do that? 

In episode one of 3Qs at the U, Samantha Yammine – a 91�Թ� alumna, neuroscientist and science communicator better known as Science Sam on social media – speaks with 91�Թ� anthropologist Madeleine Mant about the 17th-century plague doctors and their bird-like masks. 

“I know there's the phrase ... ‘history doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes’ – well understanding the past is so critical because it gives us the chance to learn,” says Mant, a lecturer at 91�Թ� Mississauga who combines medical anthropology and medical history research with a theatrical twist. “COVID-19 itself as a disease is new, but looking back can remind us that human societies have faced massive crises before and survived.”

3Qs at the U is a weekly video series in which Yammine asks a 91�Թ� researcher three questions on a timely topic. It’s produced by 91�Թ� Scarborough Interactive Digital Producer Cory Lawrence.

Read more about 3Qs at the U with Science Sam