Stuff You Should Know SYSK Selects: How the Black Death Worked
Aug 3, 2019
Explore the terrifying grip of the Black Death, a disease that originated in the Gobi desert and decimated Europe's population. Discover the gruesome symptoms and the social upheaval it caused, leading to disillusionment with established religious beliefs. The episode dives into its ecological effects, suggesting the pandemic sparked the Little Ice Age. Misconceptions about the disease's origins and the societal responses to fear are discussed, revealing chilling realities and profound changes in labor dynamics and cultural reflections of mortality.
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Black Death's Impact on CO2
- The Black Death significantly impacted atmospheric CO2 levels.
- A decrease in CO2 after the plague suggests reforestation due to reduced human activity.
Genetic Bottleneck
- The Black Death created a population bottleneck, reducing genetic diversity.
- The UK's genetic diversity decreased after the plague, notably in the 11th century.
Gruesome Reality of the Black Death
- The Black Death was gruesome, with symptoms like tumors, black spots, and oozing sores.
- The rapid deaths overwhelmed burial processes, leading to corpses piling up and spreading disease.