Preventing Future Pandemics

Big Picture Science

Science, Technology

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2026

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

We may not want to think about another pandemic, but, as epidemiologists say, it is once again a “when,” not “if,” scenario. For his latest book, journalist Jon Cohen, who has written extensively about infectious disease for the magazine Science, interviewed top epidemiologists around the world and followed virus hunters into damp and daunting bat caves to assess our pandemic preparedness readiness. Jon and Molly sit down before an audience in Los Angeles to talk about worrisome cuts to science funding and our ability (or inability) to be vigilant and respond quickly to emerging disease. There is good news: we know how to stop outbreaks. The question is, will we put our tools and vast knowledge to use? Guest: Jon Cohen – senior correspondent with Science Magazine, author of “Planning Miracles: How to Prevent Future Pandemics” Reading: The Trump Administration is Dismantling Efforts to Fight the Next Pandemic Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:05.1	Some follow the noise.
0:07.6	Bloomberg follows the money, whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion
0:12.3	dollar swings.
0:13.5	There's a money side to every story.
0:16.0	Get the money side of the story.
0:18.1	Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.
0:23.1	Instagram teen accounts with automatic protections on who can contact teenagers and the content
0:28.4	they can see. Instagram teen accounts have contact limits on by default, so teenagers get
0:34.7	messages from people they know, not strangers, and default content settings.
0:40.5	Plus, teenagers under 16 can't change these default settings without parental approval.
0:45.9	So parents can help teenagers connect safely.
0:49.6	Learn more at Instagram.com slash teen accounts.
1:02.4	Thank you. at Instagram.com slash team accounts. We may not be ready to talk about preparing for another pandemic,
1:06.7	but viruses don't respect our emotions,
1:09.0	let alone our geographic location.
1:11.7	There constantly are viruses and other pathogens jumping from animals into humans.
1:18.3	The scientists who think about this stuff the most think that the threat is probably every 10 years or so.
1:25.7	Journalist John Cohen has interviewed top epidemiologists around the world and even followed
1:30.7	virus hunters into damp back caves to assess our readiness to prevent another pandemic.
1:36.3	He shares with us what he's learned.
1:38.2	Welcome to Big Picture Science. I'm Molly Bentley.
	...

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