“Fascinated by a Blob.” (by Prof. Kristien Hens)

Kristien Hens is Full Professor in bioethics at the department of Philosophy of the University of Antwerp (UA). Besides teaching about ethics, biology and the environment, prof. Hens is actively involved in multidisciplinary research regarding these topics while having also performed influential work in the combined fields of the philosophy of psychiatry, mental health and neurodiversity.

An interview with prof. Hens in the print version of my newspaper De Morgen on 19 April 2025 attracted my attention. It was an interview about her newest book, called “Denken met microben”, that was published in March 2025 by Belgian publishing house Letterwerk.

Note: The interview as well as the book are in Dutch. Not having given it too much thought, I would intuitively translate the title of her book, described as an ‘essay’ also given its length and format, as “Thinking Microbes”.

The interview left me with high expectations and the determination to read the book. By coincidence, later that day, our son shared having noticed an interview with one of his lecturers in…