Patient Zero

The greatest mysteries have a shadowy figure at the center—someone who sets things in motion and holds the key to how the story unfolds. In epidemiology, this central character is known as Patient Zero—the case at the heart of an outbreak. This hour, Radiolab digs up an episode we first produced in 2011 and hunts for Patient Zeroes from all over the map. We start with the story of perhaps the most iconic Patient Zero of all time: Typhoid Mary. Then, we dive into a molecular detective story to pinpoint the beginning of the AIDS, and we re-imagine the moment the virus that caused the global pandemic sprang to life. After that, we're left wondering if you can trace the spread of an idea the way you can trace the spread of a disease. In the end, we find ourselves faced with a choice between competing claims about the origin of the high five.  *Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show.* Sign up *(https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!* *Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of* The Lab *(https://members.radiolab.org/) today.* *Follow our show on* Instagram*,* Twitter *and* Facebook *@radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing* [*radiolab@wnyc.org*](mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org)*.* *Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.* Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.