My favorite chapter so far is the Ebola chapter because there were so many stories and there was so much tracing and tracking to figure out what was happening and where this sickness was coming from. It is very fascinating and quite scary how fast it takes to kill once you are infected and how little it takes to be infected. The topic that has the biggest impact on me is that insects and microbes are built in population controls. Knowing how many people are in the world now and how it has grown so rapidly in recent years is kind of unsettling because these measures are put in place to make sure our population does not exceed a certain number. We have no idea what that number is, if we are close to it or not but sooner or later these measures will be used and knowing that will come is scary. I will definitely act cautious and be very aware of my surroundings and what is going on in the world because we have no idea when the next big one will happen. I for sure see our world differently, it is a cruel way of population control but is necessary and also just knowing all these diseases are out there and when they will show up is unnerving. It also is like every all living things are trying to survive and just find the best chances of survival, so like some of the viruses just happen to try living in humans but that does not work out killing people but it just shows these microbes are all trying to survive and thrive just as anything else.
Hi Ethan,
I think your point about viruses and bacteria just trying to survive and thrive is a very interesting take. After all, everything about life on Earth is a competition to see who is best adapted to living in a particular environment. Sometimes, the diseases are too powerful and kill us; sometimes, we are too powerful and kill the diseases. But sometimes, the disease gets into our body and does no harm, and our body does not recognize it and we live in harmony. I know we've talked some in class about our microbiome and I can't help but wonder what diseases I have in mine that have adapted to my system so they don't harm me and just live inside me.
You mention microbes are a form of population curve and that you don't know what the number is that will be the maximum population number. I took Human Geography in high school and we learned about Thomas Malthus's population curve that states that there is a max population and when we reach that point, something (usually war or famine) will occur to bring us back under that number. Do you think that the Next Big One could be that thing to bring us back under the max limit? Or do you think that humanity has come up with enough solutions (medications) to prevent natural population control methods, like disease?
I think your point about viruses and bacteria just trying to survive and thrive is a very interesting take. After all, everything about life on Earth is a competition to see who is best adapted to living in a particular environment. Sometimes, the diseases are too powerful and kill us; sometimes, we are too powerful and kill the diseases. But sometimes, the disease gets into our body and does no harm, and our body does not recognize it and we live in harmony. I know we've talked some in class about our microbiome and I can't help but wonder what diseases I have in mine that have adapted to my system so they don't harm me and just live inside me.
You mention microbes are a form of population curve and that you don't know what the number is that will be the maximum population number. I took Human Geography in high school and we learned about Thomas Malthus's population curve that states that there is a max population and when we reach that point, something (usually war or famine) will occur to bring us back under that number. Do you think that the Next Big One could be that thing to bring us back under the max limit? Or do you think that humanity has come up with enough solutions (medications) to prevent natural population control methods, like disease?
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