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?