EpidemicFilter

February 21, 2005 9:52 PM

If Smallpox Strikes Portland ...
posted by Gyan (16 comments total)

Strikes Portland or The Sims?

Hard to tell from the graphic...
posted by thedevildancedlightly at 10:27 PM on February 21, 2005

What's with Oregonians and the internet? All the cool hip links are from the pacific northwest it seems. Many originators of cool websites as well.
posted by Dean Keaton at 10:30 PM on February 21, 2005

Hard to tell from the graphic...

Try reading the article maybe?
posted by theonetruebix at 10:37 PM on February 21, 2005

...that'd mean...no more mathowie...

NOOOOOOOOOOOO
posted by MikeKD at 10:45 PM on February 21, 2005

Wonder if I got the pox...

Never should have taken TriMet to school.
posted by CaptMcalister at 10:54 PM on February 21, 2005

My travel plans are fucked now.
posted by AlexReynolds at 11:02 PM on February 21, 2005

Try reading the article maybe?

sar-ka-zem: a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language
posted by thedevildancedlightly at 12:55 AM on February 22, 2005

Global pandemics aren't the sort of thing Minnesota Lutherans like to talk about, even if such contagions are incubating near Ohio.
posted by Smart Dalek at 4:15 AM on February 22, 2005

Local hipster restaurants would battle to get the first smallpox tofu scramble on the menu, local brewers would battle to find the most clever name for a beer inspired by it (Itchy and Scratchy Stout?), the local homeless population would have a new affliction to place on their signs, and someone would try to lure Bud Clark out of retirement to lead the fight against it. (Not to mention the benefit concerts, ironic t-shirts and graffiti that would follow.)
posted by TomSophieIvy at 5:50 AM on February 22, 2005

Each simulation ran for a virtual 100 days, and the precise casualty figures resulting from each scenario were less important than the relative effect different responses had on the death tolls.

In other words, they don't want people to freak out by releasing the casualty figures. Maybe they'll be in the final study.
posted by exhilaration at 7:58 AM on February 22, 2005

"...a synthetic population of 1.6 million residents, and realistic daily activities for those people. " (p2 cite)

I didn't know there were 1.6 million people IN Troutdale.
posted by DeepFriedTwinkies at 8:37 AM on February 22, 2005

Actually, I think they did give some casualty figures later in the article, at least in the print version.

I actually read this on the way back from an apartment-hunting trip in Los Alamos.

This article from the same issue on misconceptions about the Big Bang is also really good. I'm an astronomer, and even I learned a couple of things.
posted by dirigibleman at 9:29 AM on February 22, 2005

What's with Oregonians and the internet? All the cool hip links are from the pacific northwest it seems. Many originators of cool websites as well.

It's almost as if there was some gigantic economic infrastructure churning out IT people by the thousands up here...
posted by Aquaman at 10:11 AM on February 22, 2005

It's almost as if there was some gigantic economic infrastructure churning out IT people by the thousands up here...

It just rains so much, we have nothing better to do.
posted by iamck at 10:27 AM on February 22, 2005

Am I the only one who read this and thought "This would be the coolest mod for SimCity" ??
posted by Megafly at 11:46 AM on February 22, 2005

Reminds me of those Zombie games
posted by Four Flavors at 1:44 PM on February 22, 2005