Google Flu Trends

Chris McGinn posted a blog on Digital Landing about how Google can be used to track flu trends.

I think we are just beginning to touch the power of Google. I heard a report on the radio a few months ago about the massive amounts of data that Google processes daily and what could be learned from it. Now it is starting to make small steps into reality.

Enter Google Flu Trends. Google did an experiment tracking the rise in flu-related search terms and compared to it to CDC tracking reports. The results were strikingly accurate. Not only that–they were 2 weeks ahead of CDC reporting. The idea is that the number of people searching for flu-related articles and information correlates with people who actually have flu or flu-like illness.

Flu Trends is part of Google.org’s Predict and Prevent initiative to support efforts to :

“identify hotspots where new infectious diseases may emerge, detect new pathogens and outbreaks earlier, and respond quickly to prevent local threats from becoming global crises. “

Now you can use Google’s power to keep an eye on flu trends in your state so you can keep you and your family healthier.

A New Space Nation

Jessie Atkin has posted a new blog at Digitallanding.com called A New Space Nation

South Korea has now joined the worldwide race for space. It’s not as much of a race today, but that fact is they are now ready to take their first step to joining the ranks of orbit bound countries around the rest of the planet. Perhaps it’s not privately funded like The Google X prize here in the US, but it’s still a step forward for the world as a whole.

The KSLV-1 (unveiled at the Naro Space Center in Goheung) will be capable of putting Korea’s first satellite into orbit sometime between April and June of 2009. It’s a big deal. Our new frontier is in the news again and things look to be moving forward as we continue exploration up and out.