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cover of episode How To End A Pandemic

How To End A Pandemic

2020/7/17
logo of podcast Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford
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主持著名true crime播客《Crime Junkie》的播音员和创始人。
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播音员：本期节目探讨了天花根除的历史，以及通过模拟演习"黑暗冬季"所揭示的未来疫情风险。天花曾被成功根除，但其病毒样本仍然存在，并且存在被用于生物恐怖袭击的可能性。"黑暗冬季"模拟演习展示了天花生物恐怖袭击可能造成的严重后果，包括疫情迅速蔓延、疫苗短缺以及社会经济的巨大损失。节目还回顾了18世纪波士顿天花疫情期间，棉花·马瑟和扎布迪尔·博伊尔斯顿医生推广接种天花的努力，以及他们所面临的挑战和反对。通过对历史事件的回顾，节目强调了对新思想的开放性、承担风险的意愿、收集数据的决心以及坚持不懈的努力在战胜疾病中的重要性。同时，节目也指出，即使我们认为已经战胜了某种疾病，也不能掉以轻心，因为胜利并非最终的。COVID-19疫情也为我们敲响了警钟，提醒我们未来疫情可能并非意外，而是人为的。

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The World Health Organisation announced the eradication of smallpox in 1980, but a simulation in 2001, Operation Dark Winter, highlighted potential vulnerabilities and the need for preparedness.

Shownotes Transcript

The eradication of smallpox is one of humanity's great achievements - but the battle against the virus was fought by the most unlikely of alliances. How did the breakthrough happen - and can we guarantee that the world is still safe from smallpox?

This episode owes a debt to Stephen Coss’s book The Fever of 1721, Ibram X. Kendi’s book Stamped From the Beginning, and to an article about Dark Winter written by Tara O’Toole, Michael Mair and Tomas Inglesby.

For a full list of our sources please see the shownotes at http://timharford.com/)

Tim's latest books 'Fifty Inventions That Shaped The Modern Economy' and 'The Next Fifty Things That Made The Modern Economy' are available now.

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