4 ms·
relatively low-tech advances that were made possibly by modern civilization, which was made possible by our expansionism.
by marknutter 13y ago
relatively low-tech advances that were made possibly by modern civilization, which was made possible by our expansionism.
- rayiner 13y agoThat's hardly an iron-clad causal chain there. I'm pretty sure penicillin would have happened whether or not we deforested California and turned it into a giant collection of freeways and parking lots.
- marknutter 13y agoPenicillin isn't the only medical advancement from the past 100 years that is contributing to our high life expectancy rates.
- rayiner 13y agoYes, but the majority of the improvements stem from a handful of relatively low-tech things: antibiotics, clean water, improved nutrition, urbanization leading to most births happening in the presence of a medical professional, social changes reducing pregnancy among young teenagers, and a handful of key vaccines. Its not blockbuster cancer drags driving the increase.