Humans have made remarkable progress in eliminating diseases. Diseases that were once very common are no longer common today. For example, fecal-oral route diseases once plagued nearly every society in history. These diseases only go away when people practice good hygiene. But the necessary technologies need to be available, and practices need to be taught. A shift in how society thinks is necessary. In this episode we talk about historian Dr. Alex Bay who studies the history of public health in Japan.