How Pandemics Change Society – Wisecrack Edition

The video explores the historical impact of pandemics, focusing on the bubonic plague and its role in shaping modern public health systems and government control. It discusses the societal changes brought by plagues, including the development of quarantine measures and increased state power. The video also highlights the unintended consequences of diseases on society and the lessons learned from past epidemics.

Which historical figure is speculated to have been affected by typhoid?

• Genghis Khan

• Napoleon Bonaparte

• Alexander the Great

• Julius Caesar

What was the primary vector for the spread of the bubonic plague?

• Fleas on rats

• Birds

• Contaminated water

• Mosquitoes

What was a common misconception about the spread of the plague?

• It was spread by food

• It was spread by direct contact

• It was spread by bad air

• It was spread by contaminated water

What was the term used for the 40-day isolation period during the plague?

• Detention

• Seclusion

• Quarantine

• Isolation

What was a syndic responsible for during the plague?

• Providing medical care

• Collecting taxes

• Supervising quarantine compliance

• Organizing public gatherings

Which philosopher described plague towns as a model for social control?

• Michel Foucault

• Jean-Jacques Rousseau

• Karl Marx

• John Locke

What was a significant outcome of the plague in terms of state power?

• Decreased state intervention

• Increased state power and control

• Complete anarchy

• Decentralization of power

What was one positive societal change attributed to the plagues?

• The rise of feudalism

• The increase in religious persecution

• The end of feudalism

• The decline of urbanization

Which disease led to stigmas around sex work?

• Syphilis

• Cholera

• Tuberculosis

• Smallpox

What was one unintended consequence of the draconian measures during the plague?

• Spread of the disease due to fleeing

• Increased population growth

• Improved international relations

• Economic prosperity