Predicting Flu With the Aid of (George) Washington
The New York Times
May 3, 2009
By Donald G. McNeil Jr.
The best way to track the spread of swine flu across the United States in the coming weeks may be to imagine it riding a dollar bill. The routes taken by millions of them are at the core of a computer model at Northwestern University that is predicting the epidemic's future. Dr. Brockmann, visiting from Germany can put out a simulation in two days, since each update needs 10 hours of computing time after data is updated. Indiana's model takes about the same on its supercomputer, Big Red, said its team leader, Alessandro Vespignani, an IU School of Informatics professor. His model covers the globe, and it is based on air and land travel records for nearly the whole world.
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Learn more about the Global Epidemic and Mobility modeler developed at IU.
