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Why Some Diseases Only Traveled One Direction

CGP Grey · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Medicine & infectious diseaseWorld history

What it is

CGP Grey explains why European diseases devastated the Americas while few deadly diseases traveled the other way. He ties it to livestock domestication, dense cities, and the ideas of Guns, Germs and Steel.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters point to it as a clear, short explanation of one-directional disease spread and the core argument of Guns, Germs, and Steel.

  • 11 people recommended it
  • 9 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2015, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “CGPGrey just put out a fantastic video comparing t”

    Compares how geography and domestication shaped the New World and Old World.

    vinceguidry, 2015-11 · Strong recommendation · in “The New China Syndrome: American business meets its new master”

  2. “CGP Grey had this amazing video”

    Explains why European diseases ravaged the Americas but not the reverse.

    bigmattystyles, 2022-10 · Strong recommendation · in “How the ‘black death’ left its genetic mark on future generations”

  3. “This video explains the history of man kind”

    Explains the history of human infectious illness.

    valarauca1, 2016-10 · Recommendation · in “Barack Obama: America Will Take the Giant Leap to Mars”

  4. “I recommend the following video by CGP Grey, largely based on the book”

    Video summary of Guns, Germs and Steel ideas on disease and conquest.

    partycoder, 2017-06 · Recommendation · in “Native Intelligence (2005)”

  5. “I think CGP Grey does a great job at communicating the actual meat of Guns, Germs, and Steel here”

    Communicates the core argument of Guns, Germs, and Steel well.

    squirrelicus, 2019-01 · Recommendation · in “Germs and ancient migrations help explain our world of 'haves' and 'have nots'”

  6. “CCP Makes a pretty good case regarding livestock -”

    Makes a good case that livestock explain one-directional disease spread.

    reallydude, 2019-08 · Recommendation · in “How a 6k-Year-Old Dog Cancer Spread Around the World”

  7. “I can recommend this video on why the native Americans were killed by diseases imported by the European conquerors”

    Explains why Europeans' diseases devastated Native Americans but not vice versa.

    majewsky, 2021-02 · Recommendation · in “Coronavirus Mutants Are Spreading Fast”

  8. “CGP Grey has a great video about this topic”

    Shows that big cities are needed to sustain plagues.

    Hokusai, 2021-10 · Recommendation · in “Vikings lived in North America by at least the year 1021”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: domestication, smallpox, guns germs and steel, columbian exchange, zoonotic disease

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