Remember how excited everyone was about Google Flu Trends last year when it confirm all of our deepest and darkest fears that we were doom to a winter of misery ? Apparently , using peoples ’ psychoneurotic self - diagnosis is n’t the most accurate way to get across disease . So now , Googlehas resolve to preface a “ new ” flu - trailing locomotive . The new part ? dependable data .
The old Flu Trends organization worked by tracking certain grippe - related search inquiry . So if you say search , say , “ runny nose ” or “ sore throat ” or “ fluid nose huffy throat am I dying , ” flu - preponderance in your orbit would get one more point in its column . Unfortunately , it turns out we have inclination to exaggerate whatever is ( or is n’t ) ailing us . This wasGoogle Flu Trends ’ chart this retiring winter :
front at all that red — spooky ! Except that , unfortunately for Google , there ’s a important destiny of the universe ( myself admit ) that dwell of wildly psychoneurotic , utterly intelligent hypochondriac .
Which is n’t to say that Google ’s tracker was entirely inaccurate ! It did at least give some accurate characterisation of where flu symptoms were more prevalent , help scientist call irruption in the first place than they might otherwise — to a degree . But to fix the gaping whole in Flu Trends ’ logic , Google will start blending their hunting - acquired data point with the CDC ’s own , prescribed , old - schooltime variety .
Google has yet to fully disclose exactly how it plans to blend the two , buttoday ’s web log postpromises a technical paper explaining the details to be secrete “ soon . ” [ GoogleviaNew York Times ]
picture : Shutterstock / pzAxe
GoogleMedicineSciencesearch locomotive engine
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