Black Swan
The symbol of the black swan is used in this text to represent how some infectious diseases are seemingly unforeseen and unpredictable. Black Swans are culturally used as a symbol of an unforeseen event, typically one that has a disastrous impact. Osterholm uses this symbol in relation to AIDS, which was a "black swan of an infectious disease that seemingly came out of nowhere."
Vaccines
In Chapter 8, Osterholm calls vaccines "the sharpest arrow in our quiver," to symbolize the fact that a vaccine is the most powerful weapon we have against infectious diseases and pandemics. He argues that "it is no exaggeration to say that vaccine remains, along with basic sanitation, the sharpest and most effective arrow in our public health quiver."
Pandora's Box
Osterholm's chapter about bioterror is titled "Opening Pandora's Box." Pandora's box is a symbol originating from Greek Mythology and is where one action leads to many complicated and uncontainable consequences. Here, Osterholm uses the symbol of Pandora's box to show that once governments start using and creating means of bioterror, the consequences will be dire and uncontrollable.
