Google.org has joined with Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to introduced Google Flu Trends, an incredibly accurate predictor of influenza levels. By noting the number of search queries about the flu their search engines receive, Google can actually predict how many people have flu symptoms, and by breaking the searches down by region, they can give you an idea how the flu spreads, the areas where it is most prevalent, and just how much of a risk you are at. Elegantly simple, and instantaneous, and the predictive results appear dead on with the traditionally gathered CDC data.

For the bigger picture, with interactive charts, maps of state by state flu levels, and further info, check it out here at Google Flu Trends.