Viruses on a plane!

Hutch: Flu that infects mainly children circles globe more slowly than types that hit jet-setting adults.
Influenza viruses that infect mainly children circulate more slowly worldwide than those that infect mainly adults. The difference may be explained by an increasingly important factor in the spread of infectious diseases: modern air travel. Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Cambridge University developed a mathematical model that looks at RNA mutations to track how different flu viruses move around the world. The study, published today in the journal Nature, is the first large-scale attempt to track H1N1 and influenza B viruses rather than the more frequently studied – and it turns out, faster-traveling – H3N2 flu virus.

Could better tests have predicted the rare circumstances of the Germanwings crash? Probably not

TheConversation: When people do terrible things, it seems reasonable to believe we should have taken steps to identify them beforehand. If we can do that, then surely we can prevent them from doing harm. The crash of Germanwings Flight 9525 in March, which appears to have been an intentional act, is an example. It shocks us (and understandably so) when a trusted professional harms those who have entrusted their lives to him or her. So why not identify pilots at risk and take steps to prevent similar events from ever occurring again? Because it is likely impossible, and maybe even counterproductive.