Apr 29Member-onlyThe Philadelphia Legionnaires’ Disease Epidemic of 1976It wasn’t until this epidemic that a new species of bacteria causing flu-like symptoms and pneumonia was discovered. — A quick summary of what you’re about to read, if you don’t have a lot of time: In 1976, an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease occurred during the American Legion’s convention in Philadelphia, resulting in 34 deaths and 221 illnesses. The cause was later identified as Legionella pneumophila bacteria in the hotel’s cooling tower, which had spread through the ventilation system. …Infectious Disease4 min readInfectious Disease4 min read
Apr 25Member-onlyFive Lessons from Aviation for Your Everyday LifeA quick summary of what you’re about to read, if you don’t have a lot of time: Lessons from aviation can be applied to everyday life. These include remaining calm and focused in high-pressure situations, avoiding unnecessary risks, following rules and avoiding distractions, listening to advice, and trusting your gut. …Aviation6 min readAviation6 min read
Apr 21Member-onlyPublic Health Workers Are Tired and Leaving Their Jobs in Droves, And I Don’t Blame ThemToxic workplaces exist within public health, and public health workers also get abuse from members of the public who do not believe in public health interventions. This is leading to a new exodus of public health workers, and I’m not surprised. — A quick summary of what you’re about to read, if you don’t have a lot of time: This article discusses the findings of a survey of public health workers in the United States, which found that many plan to leave their jobs or retire. The pandemic has put a strain on public health workers, who have been working long hours for many months. The article highlights the…Public Health5 min readPublic Health5 min read
Apr 14Member-onlyLet’s Talk About Quantum Leap (2022) Season OneThe reboot of the season was not what I expected, and that’s not a bad thing. — I still remember staying up late on some weeknights as a kid to watch the original “Quantum Leap” television series on NBC. And I still remember watching the series finale. The finale left me with many questions about the mythos of the series (the original and the reboot). First, the…Science Fiction5 min readScience Fiction5 min read
Dec 23, 2022Member-onlyThere Should Be No Shame in Preventative CareYeah, some medical procedures are embarrassing, but they might just save your life. — Before we begin, let me warn you that there is an image of my dad’s abdomen post-surgery. It’s quite jarring, but he allowed me to share it as a warning to people who forgo preventative treatment. If you’re squeamish, look away… But, please, do read on. Five years ago, dad…Public Health6 min readPublic Health6 min read
Dec 16, 2022Member-onlyChatGPT Gets a B+ in an Essay on Germ Theory From an Epidemiology ProfessorNot perfect, but perfectly scary. — I teach epidemiology to graduate students at two universities, and I’ve decided to forgo the essay as a measure of their understanding of the material. It’s not that I don’t have time to read essay after essay on the same topic. …Artificial Intelligence4 min readArtificial Intelligence4 min read
Nov 15, 2022Member-onlyVisualizing the Factors Associated With Homicide in Philadelphia in 2022 Using Publicly Available DataThe dots on a map may seem like they are clustering, but are they just indicating the clustering of something else? — Using Philadelphia’s open data portal, I downloaded the Part 1 crime data reported between January 1 and November 8, 2022. I then filtered the data for only criminal homicides, and I threw the location of those homicides on the map of neighborhoods in Philadelphia shown below. At first glance, you…Data Visualization5 min readData Visualization5 min read
Oct 20, 2022Member-onlyHow to Create and Sustain a Moral Panic in a Few Simple StepsIt’s an election year, so there must be some sort of moral panic. — Criminologist Stanley Cohen defined moral panics as a time when “a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests.” Moral panics are interesting to study, and a little scary to live through. …Politics6 min readPolitics6 min read
Sep 29, 2022Member-onlyThe New “Quantum Leap” Has Issues…For fans of the old series, the new Quantum Leap may seem unfamiliar. I think that is the point, but it’s a weakness. — I’ve now watched the first two episodes of Quantum Leap on Peacock (online streaming platform from NBC), and I have some issues with it. Or, rather, it has issues I’ve detected. The show is definitely not like the old series that ran from 1989 to 1993. …Television5 min readTelevision5 min read
Sep 28, 2022Member-onlyThe Journey ContinuesAfter three years as an epidemiologist at a county health department, it’s time to move on to bigger and better things… — I remember when my friend Shawn called me to tell me about the job being posted at the health department where he works. Shawn and I met while working at the Maryland Department of Health in 2008. He was an outbreak epidemiologist. I was the epidemiologist responsible for influenza surveillance…Life5 min readLife5 min read
