Joshua Weitz

Joshua S. Weitz (born 1975) is an American professor of biology. In 2017 he was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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Quotes

Uncharacteristically for biology, mathematical models were very much part of the formative studies of phage that were designed and executed by luminaries such as Emory Ellis, Max Delbrück, and André Lwoff. Of these, Delbrück was a physicist, and papers from the early days of phage biology (certainly those with his name attached) reveal quantitative thinking that helped build intuition regarding the dynamics that could be seen at scales far larger than those at which the actual events were unfolding. These early studies provided the foundation for subsequent diversification of the study of phage: the basic concepts of what happens subsequent to infection, experimental protocols for inferring quantitative rates from time-series data, and methods for interpreting and disentangling alternative possibilities underlying the as-yet-unseen actions taking place at micro- and nanoscale (Delbrück 1946; Lwoff 1953).
- Quantitative viral ecology: dynamics of viruses and their microbial hosts. Princeton University Press. 2015. p. 6. ISBN 978-0-691-16154-9.

Quantitative reasoning alone is critical but not sufficient. If it were, then the paradigm of mathematics and physics classes would seem to be a viable path forward for a parallel pedagogical track in the life sciences. That is to say, take a set of established equations, analyze them, explore the logical consequences of the relationships, and use their solutions as a proxy for the behavior of the natural world. However, unlike the constitutive equations of physics, a mathematical set of equations that describes a living system is not necessarily a hallowed object—not yet, at least. Models of living systems should not be put on pedestals nor conflated as substitutes for measurement. Models, mechanisms, and their predictions must engage with evidence taken from living systems in an iterative fashion—with far greater frequency than in certain branches of physics.
- "Preface". Quantitative biosciences: dynamics across cells, organisms, and populations. Princeton University Press. 2024. pp. xiii–xxii. ISBN 978-0-691-18151-6. (quote from p. xiii)

Asymptomatic.
The word may seem an unlikely start for a book meant to explain the spread of a disease that has killed more than 1 million Americans and more than 7 million individuals worldwide.
Yet, over time, we have learned that nearly everyone who was infected with SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) survived—roughly 99% (or more). Not only did the vast majority survive, but many—if not half of those infected—had such mild infections that they never knew they had the virus. They were asymptomatic.
- "Preface". Asymptomatic: the silent spread of COVID-19 and the future of pandemics. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 2024. pp. ix–xi. ISBN 978-1-421-45049-0. (quote from p. ix)

We have to follow the data. The data doesn't follow our narrative.
- (April 21, 2025)"Joshua Weitz, "Asymptomatic: The Silent Spread of COVID-19 and the Future of Pandemics"". Harvard Science Book Talks and Research Lectures, YouTube. (quote at 1:00:43 of 1:06:41 in video)