Thought Huddle Podcast

In the 14th century, a virulent plague killed nearly half of Europe’s population. What can we learn from that time as we navigate COVID-19? This is the first program in a series addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. We talk to ASU historian Hannah Barker about a time in history when the plague, a disease spread by rodents and their fleas, took the lives of tens of millions of people across Europe, Asia, and Africa. We explore the parallels—and differences—between that time and our own, including social, medical and religious responses, and resulting seismic shifts in society.