Supercomputer's Model of Human Contact Simulates Swine Flu

From IEEE Spectrum Online:

An extravagantly detailed computer model of the U.S. population is taking a crack at understanding the H1N1 "swine flu" outbreak. The model, built by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in Blacksburg, Va., is composed of realistic representations of the major ways that people in the United States come into contact with one another—in other words, real-world social networks. Last Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense began using the model to provide recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services, according to the Virginia Tech engineers.

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