Epidemiologists are using a popular computer site to track trends in population movement, and to anticipate national transmission of disease.
Where's George tracks registered U.S. or Canadian dollar bills. A registered party enters the bill's serial number on the website and others track it as it travels around the country. The site says you may legally stamp the currency with "Where's George", marking the bill for subsequent identification (this is legal as long as you do not render the bill unfit to be reissued). Rubber ink stamps may be purchased at almost any office store, or online. The bills should then be spent as one would spend any currency.
People travel in certain patterns, and carry currency which follows similar patterns. They also carry germs. Scientists from Germany and from the University of California have developed a mathematical theory to predict the path of contagious disease, to predict the paths of certain epidemics. They hope to anticipate and interrupt rapidly transmissible diseases like Avian Flu before they can spread out of control.
So if you see one of these bills, get on line and find out where it's been. Or launch your own.
[via Living on Earth, on NPR]
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