He went next listeners. Before we start the show, I wanted to just thank you for sharing

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desk. All right, onto the show.

About a month ago, before we were all socially distancing ourselves,

before New York and California and Illinois were all on lockdown, Harvard University hosted

this panel. They called it going viral. Looking at video of this event now, it's sort of weird to

see people jam together, shoulder to shoulder. Okay, I think we're going to begin. I think everybody's

settled here and there's now some people moving into the overflow room over in the belfer room as well.

Remember overflow rooms? It feels like it's worlds ago. Where everyone's all together, sitting at a

table and talking about pandemics. But all the things you guys were talking about back then

are now very, very relevant right now. David Jones was one of the people speaking at this event.

Though in truth, he didn't really want to be there. I would periodically get calls from reporters

in February. And I'd say, look, I haven't really engaged with this. You need to talk to people in

public health who actually have the inside knowledge. I don't think I have anything to say yet.

And so when I was asked to participate in that panel, I would have said no, except the person

who asked me was one of my old mentors. And so I couldn't say no. And then very quickly,

thereafter, things have totally spiraled, not out of control. But in an all-consuming way,

that I don't think anyone would have expected as recently as two weeks ago.

David was at this gathering to try to explain what history has to say about a pandemic.

He got in front of this audience and he said, if you look at enough of them,

outbreaks like this one, they play out in an almost predictable way, step by step.

...