Google flu map

[Space05us]

We've found that certain search terms are good indicators of flu activity. Google Flu Trends uses aggregated Google search data to estimate flu activity in your state up to two weeks faster than traditional flu surveillance systems.

Each week, millions of users around the world search for online health information. As you might expect, there are more flu-related searches during flu season, more allergy-related searches during allergy season, and more sunburn-related searches during the summer. You can explore all of these phenomena using Google Trends. But can search query trends provide an accurate, reliable model of real-world phenomena?

We have found a close relationship between how many people search for flu-related topics and how many people actually have flu symptoms. Of course, not every person who searches for "flu" is actually sick, but a pattern emerges when all the flu-related search queries from each state and region are added together. We compared our query counts with data from a surveillance system managed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that some search queries tend to be popular exactly when flu season is happening. By counting how often we see these search queries, we can estimate how much flu is circulating in various regions of the United States.

During the 2007-2008 flu season, an early version of Google Flu Trends was used to share results each week with the Epidemiology and Prevention Branch of the Influenza Division at CDC. Across each of the nine surveillance regions of the United States, we were able to accurately estimate current flu levels one to two weeks faster than published CDC reports. ...

http://www.google.org/about/flutrends/how.html

http://www.google.org/flutrends/

[Blaupanzer]

Thanks for the clue.

[Winston]

The end goals of Google could turn out to be worse for you than a case of the flu.

[Deity Dude]

This, on its own doesn't seem intrusive but you never know where it will end.

[Space05us]

The internet is not a right, it's a product.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Winston
The end goals of Google could turn out to be worse for you than a case of the flu.

Jesus Christ you piss me off.

Can we ban mailmen from the internet?

[SpencerH]

I think it's fascinating data; not especially useful, but fascinating.

I wonder if it could be used to identify risk of other diseases?

[Verto]

Or outbreaks of teh ghey.

[-Jrabbit]

OMFG Google is using the interwebs to give me the flu!!

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by SpencerH
I think it's fascinating data; not especially useful, but fascinating.

I wonder if it could be used to identify risk of other diseases?

On second thought it's kinda scary. If google can predict influenza trends from searches what cant they track! I was thinking of other disease but verto was correct (if possibly by luck). This thing could predict political, social, as well as medical trends!

DAMN!

[Tuberski]

Does looking at the map constitute a search for flu?

ACK!

[The Mad Monk]

http://www.userfriendly.org/static/

[CrONoS]

Searched for Capitalism in google trends; the trends is cyclical, and match summer & Christmas school vacancy.

Edit:
I added the green, which indicate a surge in search for "capitalism" which is to be corresponding to the end of the semester.

[CrONoS]

Being able to download the raw data, would be really amusing.

I'm thinking about a lot of possibility with stata.

[Wiglaf]

I know office porno saw a resurgence after the Palin nomination if that helps with this discussion.