Name: How the "ghost map" helped end a killer disease
Uploaded: 2007-01-31T00:11:00Z
Duration: 9 min 50 s
Description: Author Steven Johnson takes us on a 10-minute tour of The Ghost Map, his book about a cholera outbreak in 1854 London and the impact it had on science, cities and modern society.

Steven Johnson: How the "ghost map" helped end a killer disease

How the "ghost map" helped end a killer disease

Author Steven Johnson takes us on a 10-minute tour of The Ghost Map, his book about a cholera outbreak in 1854 London and the impact it had on science, cities and modern society.

A devastating cholera outbreak in 1854 London killed 10 percent of a neighborhood in just seven days, exposing deadly flaws in the city’s infrastructure and public health thinking. Authorities blamed foul smells for the spread, missing the true culprit: contaminated water. By mapping deaths around a single water pump, a bold observer revealed the real cause, paving the way for lifesaving reforms. This breakthrough made modern urban life possible and showed how good ideas can overturn dangerous misconceptions.