In this engaging conversation, Thomas Levenson, author of "So Very Small," uncovers the intriguing history of microbes and public health. He explains why it took over 200 years for the medical community to link germs to disease, despite their early discovery. Levenson highlights revolutionary figures like Edward Jenner and Florence Nightingale, whose innovations shifted public health from ignorance to action. He also touches on the antibiotic era, emphasizing the urgent need for responsible use as resistance grows, reminding us of the ongoing battle against infectious diseases.
54:16
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Discovering Microbes Without Context
Antony van Leeuwenhoek first observed microbes in pond water in the 1670s but nobody connected them to disease then.
A lack of a persuasive disease theory made it impossible to interpret microbes' relevance for health earlier.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Leeuwenhoek’s Microbial Letters
Leeuwenhoek, a skilled cloth merchant, used superior microscopes to discover 'animacules' in water in 1676.
He shared 500 letters with the Royal Society revealing microbial life unseen before, sparking scientific curiosity but no health implications yet.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Cotton Mather’s Controversial Inoculation
Cotton Mather introduced smallpox inoculation in Boston using material from pustules to create mild infection.
Despite proven effectiveness, violent opposition limited adoption, costing many lives despite inoculation's success in Boston and London.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In this book, Eric H. Cline examines the sudden and catastrophic collapse of the Late Bronze Age civilizations around 1177 B.C. He discusses how the victory of Pharaoh Ramses III over the Sea Peoples weakened Egypt and led to the decline of surrounding civilizations. Cline argues that the collapse was not caused by a single factor, but by a combination of invasions, revolts, earthquakes, drought, and the disruption of international trade routes. The book highlights the interdependence of these civilizations and how this interdependence hastened their dramatic collapse, ushering in a dark age that lasted centuries.
So Very Small
So Very Small
Thomas Levenson
Thomas Levenson's "So Very Small" is a captivating exploration of the history of germ theory, tracing humanity's journey from ignorance to understanding of the microbial world. The book details the scientific breakthroughs that revolutionized medicine and public health, highlighting the pivotal role of germ theory in combating infectious diseases. Levenson masterfully weaves together scientific discoveries with the social and cultural contexts in which they emerged, revealing the persistent resistance to medical innovations. The narrative underscores the ongoing battle against infectious diseases, emphasizing the importance of scientific research and public health initiatives. The book serves as a timely reminder of the fragility of progress and the need for continued vigilance in the face of emerging threats.
Scientists and enthusiastic amateurs first confirmed the existence of living things invisible to the human eye in the late sixteenth century. So why did it take two centuries to connect microbes to disease? As late as the Civil War in the 1860s, most soldiers who perished died not on the battlefield but of infected wounds, typhoid, and other diseases. Twenty years later, the outcome might have been different, following one of the most radical intellectual transformations in history: germ theory, the recognition that the tiniest forms of life have been humankind’s greatest killers. It was a discovery centuries in the making, and it transformed modern life and public health.
As today’s guest, Thomas Levenson (author of “So Very Small: How Humans Discovered the Microcosmos, Defeated Germs—and May Still Lose the War Against Infectious Disease”) reveals in this globe-spanning history, it has everything to do with how we see ourselves. For centuries, people in the West, believing themselves to hold dominion over nature, thought too much of humanity and too little of microbes to believe they could take us down. When nineteenth-century scientists finally made the connection, life-saving methods to control infections and contain outbreaks soon followed. The next big break came with the birth of the antibiotic era in the 1930s. And yet, less than a century later, the promise of the antibiotic revolution is already receding due to years of overuse. Is our self-confidence getting the better of us again?
So Very Small follows the thread of human ingenuity and hubris across centuries—along the way peering into microscopes, spelunking down sewers, visiting army hospitals, traipsing across sheep fields, and more—to show how we came to understand the microbial environment and how little we understand ourselves. Levenson traces how and why ideas are pursued, accepted, or ignored—and hence how human habits of mind can, so often, make it terribly hard to ask the right questions.
History Unplugged Podcast 