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CentrePiece article

In brief... The pandemic of 1918: effects on religiosity and innovation

When faced with catastrophic events, do people turn to religion or science? Enrico Berkes, Davide Coluccia, Gaia Dossi and Mara Squicciarini find that both reactions can occur at the same time: people affected by the flu...Read more...

CEP discussion paper

Dealing with adversity: religiosity or science? Evidence from the great influenza pandemic

How do societies respond to adversity? After a negative shock, separate strands of research document either an increase in religiosity or a boost in innovation efforts. In this paper, we show that both reactions can occu...Read more...

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LSE USAPP:

The 1918 flu pandemic made some people more religious, and others, more innovative.

Enrico Berkes, Davide Coluccia, Gaia Dossi and Mara Squicciarini investigate whether a destructive event - such as a pandemic - leads to either an increase in religiosity or a boost in innovation efforts. They find that ...Read more...