During every pandemic in history, society panicked, resisted, and then adapted—does this cycle mean humans are endlessly resilient, or recklessly dooming ourselves by repeating…

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Plagues are nature’s eviscerating reminders of how fragile we are—and how tough, too.

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Plagues are nature’s eviscerating reminders of how fragile we are—and how tough, too. Every time disease sweeps through, humans panic, invent rituals of blame, resist rules, and then—remarkably—reshape their world. After the Black Death, Europe changed its cities; after influenza, medicine marched forward. Today we livestream our fears, argue over masks, invent mRNA vaccines, and still mirror the same pattern. So are we resilient? Absolutely. Are we reckless? Undeniably. Maybe the brilliance of humanity is that we survive not by flawless wisdom, but by learning, failing, and rising with each wave until resilience itself becomes our legacy.

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History

When the Great Plague of London struck in 1665, most people fled the city while cats and dogs were slaughtered out of fear they spread the disease.

When the Great Plague of London struck in 1665, most people fled the city while cats and dogs were slaughtered out of fear they spread the disease.…

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History

First pandemic 'lockdown diaries' were written in 1348, and teenagers were already complaining about boredom.

First pandemic 'lockdown diaries' were written in 1348, and teenagers were already complaining about boredom. When the Black Death hit Florence, the writer…

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History

How dancing skeletons helped people face the Black Death

The Black Death of the 14th century was so terrifying that words alone couldn’t capture its shadow. So survivors turned to art—the “Dance of Death”—where…

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History

City councilors in Pistoia passed desperate ordinances during the Black Death banning citizens from importing used clothes or even traveling outside the city walls while…

Panic legislating is practically a medieval art form. When the bubonic plague hit the Italian city of Pistoia in 1348, the local government frantically passed…

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History

When doctors prescribed smelling farts for the plague

When your doctor’s best medical advice is essentially 'pull my finger.' During the Black Death, physicians believed the disease was caused by bad air. Their…

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History

In the 13th century, Pope Gregory IX accidentally caused a massive spike in European plague deaths by declaring what?

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During every pandemic in history, society panicked, resisted, and then adapted—does this cycle mean humans are endlessly resilient, or recklessly dooming ourselves by repeating…

A closer look

A bigger world.One discoveryat a time.

Keep exploring

When the Great Plague of London struck in 1665, most people fled the city while cats and dogs were slaughtered out of fear they spread the disease.

First pandemic 'lockdown diaries' were written in 1348, and teenagers were already complaining about boredom.

How dancing skeletons helped people face the Black Death

City councilors in Pistoia passed desperate ordinances during the Black Death banning citizens from importing used clothes or even traveling outside the city walls while…

When doctors prescribed smelling farts for the plague

In the 13th century, Pope Gregory IX accidentally caused a massive spike in European plague deaths by declaring what?

A bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.