5. Tech geeks don't have all the answers.
Because flu travels so fast, early detection is a priority. But forget about containment. For all the hype over Google's discovery that rising numbers of search terms like "flu remedy" predict spiking sickness rates weeks ahead of government reports, in a pandemic they actually measure alarm, not disease. At best, this information is of little value: Once individuals show symptoms, they're already contagious. A new "micro-needle" bandage being developed at Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology might be more helpful; if it catches on, governments could simply mail citizens their annual shot.
