146. Disease vs. the rise of civilisation

The way we die has been utterly transformed. There have been around 10,000 generations of human beings, but only in the last 3 or 4 have infectious diseases not been an expected and accepted cause of death. What drove the most deadly infectious diseases? Was technological progress and globalisation one of the key causes for its spread over the course of history? Tom and Dominic are joined by Professor Kyle Harper from the University of Oklahoma to discuss the fascinating history of disease and how shifts in the way we die have changed our world completely. Producer: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Join The Rest Is History Club for ad-free listening to the full archive, weekly bonus episodes, live streamed shows and access to an exclusive chatroom community. *The Rest Is History Live Tour 2023*: Tom and Dominic are back on tour this autumn! See them live in London, New Zealand, and Australia! Buy your tickets here: restishistorypod.com Twitter: @TheRestHistory @holland_tom @dcsandbrook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices