4 ms·

The comments here are a little over the top "antibiotic resistance is worse than terrorism!" Drug resistance is a problem, but check a reasonable source: http:/

The comments here are a little over the top "antibiotic resistance is worse than terrorism!" Drug resistance is a problem, but check a reasonable source: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html and don't gravitate toward panic and fear. Fear is the path to the dark side.

carbocation 14y ago
People shouldn't be afraid of antibiotic resistance so much as they should be outraged, diligent, and cautious. According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis antibiotic resistance kills 150,000 people per year [1], so I believe your statements on this topic are much too sanguine. [1] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs194/en/ http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs194/en/
- btipling 14y ago
  There is no shortage of outrage on Hacker News, there seems to be an infinite supply every other day so you've tapped a good market.
lgleason 14y ago
Not really, the number of deaths from it are much higher.
misnome 14y ago
Slightly ironic that you are warning against fear and panic to retort against statements that this is worse than terrorism, considering that the "Threat of Terrorism" is almost entirely fear and panic. Antibiotic resistance is a real threat, that will only get worse. It's just harder to sensationalize than the latest middle-eastern bogeyman.
- btipling 14y ago
  Well in that case I hope you are able to achieve the requisite amount of panic and fear you think is warranted.
JshWright 14y ago
>The problem is a "ticking time-bomb" and should be put on the Government's National Risk Register - which also includes "catastrophic terrorist attacks" and other civil emergencies, Professor Dame Sally Davies said. Dame Sally Claire Davies, DBE (born 24 November 1949) is the Chief Medical Officer for England, and previously Director General of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Yeah, she sure sounds like a quack to me...
ceejayoz 14y ago
> Drug resistance is a problem, but check a reasonable source: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html Did you read your reasonable source? That page links to: http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/antibiotic-resistance-faqs.html http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/antibiotic-resist... "Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world's most pressing public health problems... antibiotic resistance is among CDC's top concerns."
- btipling 14y ago
  There's a difference between "top concerns" and the tone on this ridiculous HN thread. You'd think the world was ending. I hope all the downvotes help these people find relief from their vexing anxiety.
  - ceejayoz 14y ago
    The tone here is "this is a big problem", which is the correct tone according to the CDC. Terrorism kills small numbers of people. Antibiotic resistant bacteria already kill more, and that's only going to go up if solutions aren't found.
mikeash 14y ago
"Worse than terrorism" is an extremely low bar. It's hard to see how saying that antibiotic resistance could not be worse than terrorism, since terrorism is an extremely minor problem.
- scarmig 14y ago
  Indeed, it gets pretty tricky to think of something that fails to pass that hurdle. Swimming pools: worse than terrorism. Check. Driving: worse than terrorism. Check. The common cold: worse than terrorism. Check. Sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week: worse than terrorism. Check. Terrorism is a useful cudgel for tyranny because it hits the convenient sweet spot of high profile incidents to rally around, nationalist xenophobia, and maximally invading the civil liberties of otherwise thoughtful citizens.
kragen 14y ago
Comparing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to terrorism gives terrorism far too much credit. Non-state terrorism is only a distraction from things that actually matter.

carbocation 14y ago

People shouldn't be afraid of antibiotic resistance so much as they should be outraged, diligent, and cautious. According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis antibiotic resistance kills 150,000 people per year [1], so I believe your statements on this topic are much too sanguine. [1] http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs194/en/ http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs194/en/

btipling 14y ago
There is no shortage of outrage on Hacker News, there seems to be an infinite supply every other day so you've tapped a good market.

lgleason 14y ago

Not really, the number of deaths from it are much higher.

misnome 14y ago

Slightly ironic that you are warning against fear and panic to retort against statements that this is worse than terrorism, considering that the "Threat of Terrorism" is almost entirely fear and panic. Antibiotic resistance is a real threat, that will only get worse. It's just harder to sensationalize than the latest middle-eastern bogeyman.

btipling 14y ago
Well in that case I hope you are able to achieve the requisite amount of panic and fear you think is warranted.

JshWright 14y ago

>The problem is a "ticking time-bomb" and should be put on the Government's National Risk Register - which also includes "catastrophic terrorist attacks" and other civil emergencies, Professor Dame Sally Davies said. Dame Sally Claire Davies, DBE (born 24 November 1949) is the Chief Medical Officer for England, and previously Director General of Research and Development and Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Yeah, she sure sounds like a quack to me...

ceejayoz 14y ago

> Drug resistance is a problem, but check a reasonable source: http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html Did you read your reasonable source? That page links to: http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/antibiotic-resistance-faqs.html http://www.cdc.gov/getsmart/antibiotic-use/antibiotic-resist... "Antibiotic resistance has been called one of the world's most pressing public health problems... antibiotic resistance is among CDC's top concerns."

btipling 14y ago
There's a difference between "top concerns" and the tone on this ridiculous HN thread. You'd think the world was ending. I hope all the downvotes help these people find relief from their vexing anxiety.
- ceejayoz 14y ago
  The tone here is "this is a big problem", which is the correct tone according to the CDC. Terrorism kills small numbers of people. Antibiotic resistant bacteria already kill more, and that's only going to go up if solutions aren't found.

mikeash 14y ago

"Worse than terrorism" is an extremely low bar. It's hard to see how saying that antibiotic resistance could not be worse than terrorism, since terrorism is an extremely minor problem.

scarmig 14y ago
Indeed, it gets pretty tricky to think of something that fails to pass that hurdle. Swimming pools: worse than terrorism. Check. Driving: worse than terrorism. Check. The common cold: worse than terrorism. Check. Sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week: worse than terrorism. Check. Terrorism is a useful cudgel for tyranny because it hits the convenient sweet spot of high profile incidents to rally around, nationalist xenophobia, and maximally invading the civil liberties of otherwise thoughtful citizens.

kragen 14y ago

Comparing antibiotic-resistant bacteria to terrorism gives terrorism far too much credit. Non-state terrorism is only a distraction from things that actually matter.