Virology Lectures 2021 #1: What is a Virus?

For the first lecture of my 2021 Columbia University virology course, we define viruses, discuss their discovery and fundamental properties, including whether or not they are alive, and explain why they are the most amazing and intriguing biological entities on Earth. As we enter the second year of the 2020 Pandemic, there is no better time to learn about viruses!

If you would like to answer the quiz questions during this lecture, go to:
And make sure to stop the video so you don't see the answers before you respond.

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Twitter: @profvrr

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– Who Am I? –

I’m Vincent Racaniello, Earth’s Virology Professor.

I’m also a professor of virology at Columbia University in New York. I’ve been doing research on viruses since 1976, and teaching virology in classrooms and online since 1999. On this YouTube channel I share videos of my lectures, podcasts, and more.

New videos are uploaded multiple days a week.

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#virology #viruses #coronavirus #pandemic
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[jaf]

Vincent! I am so excited to take this course. I became interested in virology when I discovered your podcast on YouTube last year and have been watching ever since. I am not a scientist but I love the discipline and I am eager to learn. I am 75 years old but I feel like a kid in a candy shop every time I watch your podcast, let the excitement begin. Thank you.

[herdfedsfre]

As someone who continues their education outside of universities(trade worker who hasn't gone to college) these courses are invaluable. I just want to thank any professor or professional who publishes their teachings online or in book form. Your knowledge is reaching people even if it doesn't seem like it is. Please keep up the amazing work, thank you.

[louiseclifford]

Thank you Vincent, love the lecture. I am a registered nurse in Australia and am a senior citizen (76) years old. I am still working and am getting myself ready for the big Covid 19 immunisation rollout as I am an accredited immuniser. When I started nursing we trained in the hospital so I don’t have any university degrees etc. I have recently come across the Twiv talks and love them but occasionally some of the content is above my head so to speak but I am very excited about the lectures on virology that you are doing. I have just introduced my nursing friend and colleague who is the same age as me and she is still working as well. This is all probably a bit irrelevant but thought you might like to know that you are doing a great job and you are reaching us outside the USA. Keep up the good work.

[benmarandi]

I took the 2020 course. It was absolutely fascinating. I took the course 20 years ago. So much has been changed. Thank you so much, Vincent for creating this opportunity for us to learn.

[janaemeloloya]

Thank you from Kansas. What a perfect end to the day. I got my 1st Moderna vaccine today. My 7 yr old listened with me and asked appropriate questions. We are faithful listeners. Thank you for reducing the crazy in this world. I am 55 and became a nurse in 1984.

[jellicle_kitten]

"Even though they've caused enormous devastation, they're amazing" - big Ollivander vibes here )))
Thank you for your work!

[rtnjo]

Whos here after Lex?) Thanks for this channel sir!

[MedicineRunner]

Doing my M.S. in medical sciences and your previous lectures on virology helped a lot. I get something from all of your videos.

Now you need to start a series on teaching professors how to lecture and be tech savvy in the pandemic era of academia. I know it’s asking a lot but at this point I’m convinced you’re from a different realm and you don’t require sleep.

[chinamatt]

Came here from Lex Fridman podcast with Vincent. Glad i did! The 100 million light years statistics was mind boggling, I had to do the calculation myself to believe it. I found that for phages 200nm long, 10^30 phages would stretch 20 million light years! The closest galaxy is only 25000 light years away, and the nearest galaxy cluster is only 11 million light years away. 🤯🤯

[AckermannHans]

Thank you so much Dear Professor for your very kind attempt on publishing free online courses on Virology. May the force be with you.

[jree]

I went to Wayne State University 24 years ago, and took an Intro to Biology class and got a good grade but it was a lot of work understanding things. Later Ivy League schools but classes up on Youtube or Itunes and you could see the noticeable difference in quality and it always fascinates me. If I had Calculus explanations on Youtube like they do now I would have had a much easier time in those classes at the time.

[karl]

I did not think you would really do this, not this year.... You are the special one.

[TheSuzberry]

I’m a subscriber to your channel. My college major was English. I know so little about science that it can be measured on a scale with the rabies virus. But this lecture was fascinating. I hope I can keep up with your viewers who actually understand science. But, so far, this is a marvelous hour

[junviatorlifeingermany]

17:12 - did someone yawn or was it the looper? Lamo. Alright, I am going back to the lecture.

[energyexecs]

...Thank you Vincent Racaniello. I was studying to be a Biology Teacher in the 1970s but ran out of money and just received a simple Degree in BioScience. However, I had great professors who also emphasized the "integrated" concept that you mentioned in your video. In those days, the Biology Degree was "integrated" with "ecology" and also other "hard sciences" such as Microbiology, Genetics, Chemistry, Advanced Bio, along with Electives in Soils Science, Botony, Ornithology, Ag Science, et al. It's refreshing to hear about "integrative" approach.

[JagVama]

Just started my viral journey! One word - WOW!
are a rock star of virology!
I watch twiv and immune for the past one year....thank you Sir! Namaste 🙏

[rbilleaud]

Took a microbiology lab back in college many moons ago. It was pretty fascinating stuff. One exercise we did was on the transmission of bacteria (although I'm sure it could be applied to viruses as well). The instructor took a swab and applied a sample of some harmless bacteria to a piece of candy, then gave everyone in class a piece of candy, but only one had the bacteria. We were then given a petri dish divided into 4 sections. We were to roll our candies in our hands and then take a swab of our plams and apply that to one section of the dish. We were to then shake hands with the people on either side of us, taking a swab of our palm after each handshake and applying that to different sections of the dish, then finally shake hands with someone across the room. By examining the dishes after they'd incubated overnight, we were shown how we could figure out who "patient zero" was and how the microbe spread amongst the students. Pretty fascinating (and sobering for a bunch of hyper-sexually active young men and women). Guess who patient zero was?

[pinwheelart]

People who gift their knowledge to the world are special individuals.💖 Gracias.🖖🏽

[apocalypsesioux]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge from this mobile viral/bacterial/fungal

[arthunter]

I watched last year’s lectures twice and this year’s once and while I found them utterly fascinating I’m left knowing I know absolutely nothing about virology...