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HarvardX: PredictionX: John Snow and the Cholera Epidemic of 1854

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An in-depth look at the 1854 London cholera epidemic in Soho and its importance for the field of epidemiology.

1 weeks
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
Free
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Starts Mar 28

About this course

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In 1854, a cholera epidemic swept through the London neighborhood of Soho. In the course of about three weeks, over 600 people died. This incident was, tragically, not unusual in London or the rest of the 19th century world as a whole. The scourge of cholera seemed unstoppable and, even worse, unpredictable. But one doctor -- ignored by the scientific community at large -- set out to prove that he knew how this infectious disease was spread.

Join us for this one-week, immersive learning experience. We will explore John Snow’s London, from the streets of Soho to the dataset that helped create the map that changed our understanding of cholera, public health, and epidemiology forever.

This course features interactive tools including an interactive ArcGIS map of the 1854 Broad Street cholera outbreak and a Timeline JS of John Snow’s investigation.

This module is a part of PredictionX, which looks at the history of attempts to predict the future. PredictionX courses will cover topics from omens and oracles in ancient civilizations to modern computer simulations.

At a glance

  • Institution: HarvardX
  • Subject: History
  • Level: Introductory
  • Prerequisites:
    None
  • Language: English
  • Video Transcript: English
  • Associated programs:
  • Associated skills:JavaScript (Programming Language), Infectious Diseases, Public Health, ArcGIS (GIS Software), Epidemiology

What you'll learn

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  • John Snow’s role in creating modern epidemiology
  • Description of 19th century London life

This course is part of PredictionX XSeries Program

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Expert instruction
3 high-quality courses
Self-paced
Progress at your own speed
1 month
2 - 3 hours per week

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