4 ms·

we were done with syphilis, then HIV came. Once we're done with HIV, what is the next thing to come?

by VladRussian 16y ago

kingsidharth 16y ago
Their hybrid.
- bioh42_2 16y ago
  Or a magical unicorn! We are just throwing concepts around right? In all seriousness folks, humans and cheetahs and a few other species, are uniquely susceptible to extinction by disease. Something bad happened to us a long time ago and thus we can trace our ancestry to a few individuals! This means one individual group of chimpanzees can have more genetic diversity (and thus greater resistance to diseases) then all of humanity. But if you really want to bet on what the "next big thing" will be, I suggest you put your money on the plain old (and ever new) flu. Also the "next 1918" flu will not care if we've conquered HIV or not.
  - VladRussian 16y ago
    >In all seriousness folks, humans and cheetahs and a few other species, are uniquely susceptible to extinction by disease. Cheetah aren't going to stop using protection just because there is nothing to fear anymore. >Something bad happened to us a long time ago and thus we can trace our ancestry to a few individuals! These few individuals left Africa by crossing the Sinai and went to spread around the world. That was definitely bad for Neanderthals.
    - dstorrs 16y ago
      > These few individuals left Africa by crossing the Sinai and went to spread around the world. That was definitely bad for Neanderthals. And the relevance is.....?
      - VladRussian 16y ago
        that is the reason explaining why "thus we can trace our ancestry to a few individuals!"
shandley 16y ago
Sadly, we are not "done" with syphilis. It is actually still a big problem in some communities: http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm
InclinedPlane 16y ago
HPV is still a big problem in the developed world. HIV is going to remain a big problem in the 3rd world for some time, probably until there's an effective vaccine.

we were done with syphilis, then HIV came. Once we're done with HIV, what is the next thing to come?

kingsidharth 16y ago

Their hybrid.

bioh42_2 16y ago
Or a magical unicorn! We are just throwing concepts around right? In all seriousness folks, humans and cheetahs and a few other species, are uniquely susceptible to extinction by disease. Something bad happened to us a long time ago and thus we can trace our ancestry to a few individuals! This means one individual group of chimpanzees can have more genetic diversity (and thus greater resistance to diseases) then all of humanity. But if you really want to bet on what the "next big thing" will be, I suggest you put your money on the plain old (and ever new) flu. Also the "next 1918" flu will not care if we've conquered HIV or not.
- VladRussian 16y ago
  >In all seriousness folks, humans and cheetahs and a few other species, are uniquely susceptible to extinction by disease. Cheetah aren't going to stop using protection just because there is nothing to fear anymore. >Something bad happened to us a long time ago and thus we can trace our ancestry to a few individuals! These few individuals left Africa by crossing the Sinai and went to spread around the world. That was definitely bad for Neanderthals.
  - dstorrs 16y ago
    > These few individuals left Africa by crossing the Sinai and went to spread around the world. That was definitely bad for Neanderthals. And the relevance is.....?
    - VladRussian 16y ago
      that is the reason explaining why "thus we can trace our ancestry to a few individuals!"

shandley 16y ago

Sadly, we are not "done" with syphilis. It is actually still a big problem in some communities: http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm http://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-syphilis.htm

InclinedPlane 16y ago

HPV is still a big problem in the developed world. HIV is going to remain a big problem in the 3rd world for some time, probably until there's an effective vaccine.