Medical Science is a Fucking Miracle
Started by
Michael
, May 19 2011 01:20 AM
4 replies to this topic
#1
Posted 19 May 2011 - 01:20 AM
My consort, the amazing April Smith, is reading Pox: An American History by Michael Willrich, a book about smallpox and the cultural and civil liberties strife involved in the introduction of the smallpox vaccine. (I'd heard an excellent interview on the subject on "Fresh Air" on NPR).
We live in a world where dedicated researchers, public health advocates and workers, and investments in research and deployment have nearly eradicated this deadly, horrific plague.
Some of the early campaigns were in various ways brutal and immoral. But the achievement could have been done ethically, and is truly astonishing -- let alone when put together with what we have achieved with polio, measles, and even heart disease and cancer.
Never in human history have we lived so free of early death, disability, and disease. And we can do more, if we try, for the new diseases of aging which are terrible, but for which we should be grateful to our scientific forebearers for giving us the privilege of living long enough to suffer.
We live in an age of scientific miracles. Our lives are unimaginable, to the minds of all who have gone before.
Never forget.
We live in a world where dedicated researchers, public health advocates and workers, and investments in research and deployment have nearly eradicated this deadly, horrific plague.
Some of the early campaigns were in various ways brutal and immoral. But the achievement could have been done ethically, and is truly astonishing -- let alone when put together with what we have achieved with polio, measles, and even heart disease and cancer.
Never in human history have we lived so free of early death, disability, and disease. And we can do more, if we try, for the new diseases of aging which are terrible, but for which we should be grateful to our scientific forebearers for giving us the privilege of living long enough to suffer.
We live in an age of scientific miracles. Our lives are unimaginable, to the minds of all who have gone before.
Never forget.
#2
Posted 19 May 2011 - 01:33 AM
Thats what I was thinking.
I often think about how perspectiveless people can be. I mean, a thousand years ago I don't think people could imagine all the tools and potential we would have by today. If they could have had a seer come and tell them all about it it seems they would envision a world of eager disease warriors jumping at the chance to harness the tools to eradicate the plagues. A world where people joyously worked together on a world scale to merrily go about picking these scourges out of the fabric of society one by one until they were all but gone.
People aren't completely indifferent these days, but it seems there is enough of it. I think people can benefit from more perspective like that given here by your topic.
I often think about how perspectiveless people can be. I mean, a thousand years ago I don't think people could imagine all the tools and potential we would have by today. If they could have had a seer come and tell them all about it it seems they would envision a world of eager disease warriors jumping at the chance to harness the tools to eradicate the plagues. A world where people joyously worked together on a world scale to merrily go about picking these scourges out of the fabric of society one by one until they were all but gone.
People aren't completely indifferent these days, but it seems there is enough of it. I think people can benefit from more perspective like that given here by your topic.
#3
Posted 19 May 2011 - 07:48 AM
I concur. It blows me away.
#4
Posted 09 June 2011 - 12:13 AM
Never in human history have we lived so free of early death, disability, and disease. And we can do more, if we try, for the new diseases of aging which are terrible, but for which we should be grateful to our scientific forebearers for giving us the privilege of living long enough to suffer.
That depends what youd consider and a disability or disease, not so long ago homosexuality was considered one too , I wonder what peoples defintions will include tomorrow ?
tepol
#5
Posted 09 June 2011 - 04:29 AM
Science - good.
Medicine - good.
Vaccines - good.
Market pressure to immunize based on voluntary agreements like insurance contracts, neighborhood association policies, school entrance requirements, etc, etc, etc - all good.
Violent monopolies (aka "governments") claiming to act in the name of science, thereby subverting it for their power-hungry goals - horrible.
It's a character flaw, though a relatively minor one in most cases, but people still have the Right to discriminate on its basis. Now the blunt instrument of government-controlled "science" is trying to convince people that sexual orientation is 100% deterministic and parents who want to increase their odds of having more (or any) grandchildren are bigots, which is total bull.
Medicine - good.
Vaccines - good.
Market pressure to immunize based on voluntary agreements like insurance contracts, neighborhood association policies, school entrance requirements, etc, etc, etc - all good.
Violent monopolies (aka "governments") claiming to act in the name of science, thereby subverting it for their power-hungry goals - horrible.
[...] not so long ago homosexuality was considered [a disease ...]
It's a character flaw, though a relatively minor one in most cases, but people still have the Right to discriminate on its basis. Now the blunt instrument of government-controlled "science" is trying to convince people that sexual orientation is 100% deterministic and parents who want to increase their odds of having more (or any) grandchildren are bigots, which is total bull.
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