Babbage: Early warning

<p>How can technology be used to forecast <a href="https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2021/03/23/covid-19-has-shown-what-modern-biomedicine-can-do?utm_campaign=babbage&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">future pandemics</a>? We speak to the researchers creating an <a href="https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2021/03/23/putting-the-viruses-of-the-world-into-a-panopticon-is-no-longer-impossible?utm_campaign=babbage&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">observatory to spot incipient health crises before they take off</a>. Is data the ultimate weapon in the fight against covid-19 and future viruses? And, the rapid genetic sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 made early testing possible—but <a href="https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2021/03/23/testing-and-tracing-could-have-worked-better-against-covid-19?utm_campaign=babbage&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">testing infrastructure needs to be improved</a>. Kenneth Cukier hosts.</p><p><br></p><p>For full access to The Economist’s print, digital and audio editions subscribe at <a href="http://www.economist.com/podcastoffer?utm_campaign=babbage&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/podcastoffer</a> and sign up for our new weekly science newsletter at <a href="http://www.economist.com/simplyscience?utm_campaign=babbage&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_source=third-party-host&amp;utm_content=show-notes" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">economist.com/simplyscience</a>.</p> &#10;&nbsp;<br /><hr><p style='color: grey; font - size: 0.75em; '>See <a style='color: grey; ' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for privacy and opt