What is the primary reason that the population is cut by 50% or more? (1 Viewer)

[(HULK)]

And, in my view, we are on the cusp of immortality. Its within 100 years in my opinion.

Immortality will never happen until we can learn to live outside our bodies, which isn't going to happen in 100 years.

I think we'll be functionally immortal within 100 years. As in, free from aging, advanced ability to repair damage, etc. I suppose we'll still be susceptible to some things (like jumping into lava would kill you). But eventually via uploading, we'd be essentially "substrate independent minds" capable of making backup copies and existing in multiple platforms, etc. Pretty dang hard to kill whenever that day arrives.

 

[cstu]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

 

[Sarnoff]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

Well, "in history" doesn't matter because before 1950 there was no way for disease to spread across multiple separate populations. Jets changed that. Luckily, antibiotics were discovered before jet travel, so, once the possibility of a worldwide contagion spread arose we at least had the ability to contain it. Now, evolution has given us antibiotic-resistant diseases, but, we're not containing jet travel. So, now is the first time in history a disease more advanced than our medical technology exists in a time when we are able to spread it worldwide among geographically separate populations, and possibly in a faster time than the first victims even show symptoms.

 

[Sinn Fein]

And, in my view, we are on the cusp of immortality. Its within 100 years in my opinion.

Immortality will never happen until we can learn to live outside our bodies, which isn't going to happen in 100 years.

I think we'll be functionally immortal within 100 years. As in, free from aging, advanced ability to repair damage, etc. I suppose we'll still be susceptible to some things (like jumping into lava would kill you). But eventually via uploading, we'd be essentially "substrate independent minds" capable of making backup copies and existing in multiple platforms, etc. Pretty dang hard to kill whenever that day arrives.

The last question

 

[Chaka]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

Well, "in history" doesn't matter because before 1950 there was no way for disease to spread across multiple separate populations. Jets changed that. Luckily, antibiotics were discovered before jet travel, so, once the possibility of a worldwide contagion spread arose we at least had the ability to contain it. Now, evolution has given us antibiotic-resistant diseases, but, we're not containing jet travel. So, now is the first time in history a disease more advanced than our medical technology exists in a time when we are able to spread it worldwide among geographically separate populations, and possibly in a faster time than the first victims even show symptoms.

It is estimated that Bubonic plague wiped out nearly 50% of the population of Europe twice (6th & 14th century).

 

[FUBAR]

101-200 years. Alien invasion,.

damn illegals.

 

[matttyl]

50% is a huge threshold. WW2 only killed 3.7% of the World's population. So we're talking about something 13x the scale of WW2.

The World has over 7.1B people. You wipe out each and every person from China, India, and the US - you're only at 2.9B, or about 40%. War isn't the answer here, no matter what type of war.

 

[(HULK)]

And, in my view, we are on the cusp of immortality. Its within 100 years in my opinion.

Immortality will never happen until we can learn to live outside our bodies, which isn't going to happen in 100 years.

I think we'll be functionally immortal within 100 years. As in, free from aging, advanced ability to repair damage, etc. I suppose we'll still be susceptible to some things (like jumping into lava would kill you). But eventually via uploading, we'd be essentially "substrate independent minds" capable of making backup copies and existing in multiple platforms, etc. Pretty dang hard to kill whenever that day arrives.

The last question

Cool story, but LOL @ analog computers being the rage of the future.

A couple of thoughts. Just because we can't reverse entropy, or travel faster than light, etc etc right now doesn't mean we won't be able to ever.

Also, if concious was digital, the passage of time can be slowed to such a level that a year becomes a million eons in your perception... plenty of time to figure out a solution imo

 

[cstu]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

Well, "in history" doesn't matter because before 1950 there was no way for disease to spread across multiple separate populations. Jets changed that. Luckily, antibiotics were discovered before jet travel, so, once the possibility of a worldwide contagion spread arose we at least had the ability to contain it. Now, evolution has given us antibiotic-resistant diseases, but, we're not containing jet travel. So, now is the first time in history a disease more advanced than our medical technology exists in a time when we are able to spread it worldwide among geographically separate populations, and possibly in a faster time than the first victims even show symptoms.

It is estimated that Bubonic plague wiped out nearly 50% of the population of Europe twice (6th & 14th century).

Our hygiene and awareness of diseases and how they are spread are a tad bit better than the Middle Ages.

 

[cstu]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

Well, "in history" doesn't matter because before 1950 there was no way for disease to spread across multiple separate populations. Jets changed that. Luckily, antibiotics were discovered before jet travel, so, once the possibility of a worldwide contagion spread arose we at least had the ability to contain it. Now, evolution has given us antibiotic-resistant diseases, but, we're not containing jet travel. So, now is the first time in history a disease more advanced than our medical technology exists in a time when we are able to spread it worldwide among geographically separate populations, and possibly in a faster time than the first victims even show symptoms.

For a disease today to kill that many people would require it to have an extremely long incubation period before showing signs of infection and be spread by air. Basically you're talking about airborne HIV.

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/2004-09/1094235582.Bc.r.htmlIn order to have a retrovirus that could be airborne, the cell tropismwould have to be modified so that it could infect epithelial cells of themouth, the throat or the lung. As such, the associated disease would benecessarily different since only the targeted epithelial cells would beinfected, recognized by the immune system and destroyed. A modified HIVwould thus not induce AIDS anymore but could maybe cause a sore throat. Confering dual-tropism (HIV that could infect both lymphocytes andepithelial cells) could be a way to cause a AIDS-like disease that istransmitted by aerosols; however, this virus would still be affected byenzymes of the saliva so that it would get inactivated pretty quickly andproductive infection would be highly improbable.Overall, one would certainly have to insert more than two genes in order toget an airborne retrovirus. Addding this much genetic material to aretrovirus is preempted by the inherent low processivity of the reversetranscriptase. Moreover, trying to remove two or more genes of HIV toreplace them with other genes result in a loss of viral fitness that canlead to inactivation of the virus or lack of associated disease.In short, although feasible, this approach would not result in a"super-HIV" that could infect people through aerosols. It would more thanlikely result either in a non-infectious viral particle or a viral particlewith a different (if not lack of) associated disease.011 (UTC)

 

[Tchula]

IF it happens it will be due to a combination of environmental circumscription, war, famine, & disease. FYI environmental circumscription is simply wearing out your natural resources and has nothing to do with global warming.

 

[Chaka]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

Well, "in history" doesn't matter because before 1950 there was no way for disease to spread across multiple separate populations. Jets changed that. Luckily, antibiotics were discovered before jet travel, so, once the possibility of a worldwide contagion spread arose we at least had the ability to contain it. Now, evolution has given us antibiotic-resistant diseases, but, we're not containing jet travel. So, now is the first time in history a disease more advanced than our medical technology exists in a time when we are able to spread it worldwide among geographically separate populations, and possibly in a faster time than the first victims even show symptoms.

It is estimated that Bubonic plague wiped out nearly 50% of the population of Europe twice (6th & 14th century).

Our hygiene and awareness of diseases and how they are spread are a tad bit better than the Middle Ages.

The diseases we face have not remained static either. Bacteria and virus mutate at a very high rate, and humans help expedite that process. I trust science but I also believe that nature can find a way to trump that.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

Well, "in history" doesn't matter because before 1950 there was no way for disease to spread across multiple separate populations. Jets changed that. Luckily, antibiotics were discovered before jet travel, so, once the possibility of a worldwide contagion spread arose we at least had the ability to contain it. Now, evolution has given us antibiotic-resistant diseases, but, we're not containing jet travel. So, now is the first time in history a disease more advanced than our medical technology exists in a time when we are able to spread it worldwide among geographically separate populations, and possibly in a faster time than the first victims even show symptoms.

It is estimated that Bubonic plague wiped out nearly 50% of the population of Europe twice (6th & 14th century).

Our hygiene and awareness of diseases and how they are spread are a tad bit better than the Middle Ages.

It did help when we quit just throwing our garbage out the window. Another reason to tip your garbageman?

 

[Sarnoff]

Disease (26 votes [24.76%])

No disease in history has killed half of the Earth's human population, why are people thinking it will happen now?

Well, "in history" doesn't matter because before 1950 there was no way for disease to spread across multiple separate populations. Jets changed that. Luckily, antibiotics were discovered before jet travel, so, once the possibility of a worldwide contagion spread arose we at least had the ability to contain it. Now, evolution has given us antibiotic-resistant diseases, but, we're not containing jet travel. So, now is the first time in history a disease more advanced than our medical technology exists in a time when we are able to spread it worldwide among geographically separate populations, and possibly in a faster time than the first victims even show symptoms.

It is estimated that Bubonic plague wiped out nearly 50% of the population of Europe twice (6th & 14th century).

Our hygiene and awareness of diseases and how they are spread are a tad bit better than the Middle Ages.

The whole staff of doctors and the near-endless supply of money available to them wasn't able to keep the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from the MRSA outbreak.

 

[Drifter]

Primary reason will be the death rate greatly exceeds the birth rate.

And when the death rate is reduced to .000001%?

I voted never happen imo. Its a higher probability we'll be biologically immortal before we'll be reduced by 1/2.

It would seem history is not in your favor - given the sheer number of species that have gone extinct. No reason to expect that we will be any different.

Really? I think humans stand pretty far apart from any species that has gone extinct. I don't think dinosaurs had the internet, or even basic tool use We're the ONLY species to shape our environment to suit ourselves, which protects us from a wide variety of potential extinction threats.

And, in my view, we are on the cusp of immortality. Its within 100 years in my opinion.

Anything but virtual immortality would lead to a complete disaster situation

 

[Drifter]

And, in my view, we are on the cusp of immortality. Its within 100 years in my opinion.

Immortality will never happen until we can learn to live outside our bodies, which isn't going to happen in 100 years.

If you subscribe to the exponential technology development theories, it could happen in 50

 

[(HULK)]

And, in my view, we are on the cusp of immortality. Its within 100 years in my opinion.

Immortality will never happen until we can learn to live outside our bodies, which isn't going to happen in 100 years.

If you subscribe to the exponential technology development theories, it could happen in 50

Kurzweil says 2045. Others say as soon as 2029. I have no idea personally.

 

[Fennis]

MERS trying to start a run at it.

 

[Fennis]

<1 year (3 votes [2.21%])

Disease (33 votes [24.26%])

you folks are looking good...

Death Toll From Ebola Surges in West Africa, Prompting Alarm

New cases and deaths from the Ebola virus outbreak in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, already the worst ever recorded for the disease, have surged by double-digit percentages in the past week, the World Health Organization reported Tuesday, with no sign of a slowdown. Alarmed Ivory Coast border authorities blocked hundreds of Ivorian refugees in Liberia from returning, news agencies reported.

In its latest update, the W.H.O. said the number of suspect, probable and confirmed cases as of Saturday totaled 964, up about 14 percent from a week earlier. Deaths totaled 603, up about 16 percent from a week earlier. Half the deaths have been in Guinea.

“This trend indicates that a high level of transmission of the Ebola virus continues to take place in the community,” the W.H.O. said in the update. “The respective ministries of health are working with W.H.O. and partners to step up outbreak containment measures.”

The latest figures were reported as the W.H.O. helped complete a coordination center in Conakry, Guinea’s capital, in an attempt to slow the spread of Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever with no known cure and a death rate that can reach 90 percent. The virus first appeared in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is believed to have been spread originally by fruit bats. Gorillas, chimpanzees, forest antelopes and porcupines can also spread the virus.

Despite the latest outbreak, the W.H.O. said it was not recommending any travel or trade restrictions in the three affected countries. Nonetheless, news agencies reported Tuesday that Ivory Coast had prevented 400 refugees who had fled to neighboring Liberia during the violent 2010-11 Ivorian political upheaval from re-entering the country. Agence France-Presse said Bruno Kone, an Ivorian government spokesman, had justified the move, quoting him as saying, “We cannot be lax in this area.”

 

[Chaka]

<1 year (3 votes [2.21%])

Disease (33 votes [24.26%])

you folks are looking good...

Death Toll From Ebola Surges in West Africa, Prompting Alarm

New cases and deaths from the Ebola virus outbreak in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, already the worst ever recorded for the disease, have surged by double-digit percentages in the past week, the World Health Organization reported Tuesday, with no sign of a slowdown. Alarmed Ivory Coast border authorities blocked hundreds of Ivorian refugees in Liberia from returning, news agencies reported.

In its latest update, the W.H.O. said the number of suspect, probable and confirmed cases as of Saturday totaled 964, up about 14 percent from a week earlier. Deaths totaled 603, up about 16 percent from a week earlier. Half the deaths have been in Guinea.

“This trend indicates that a high level of transmission of the Ebola virus continues to take place in the community,” the W.H.O. said in the update. “The respective ministries of health are working with W.H.O. and partners to step up outbreak containment measures.”

The latest figures were reported as the W.H.O. helped complete a coordination center in Conakry, Guinea’s capital, in an attempt to slow the spread of Ebola, a hemorrhagic fever with no known cure and a death rate that can reach 90 percent. The virus first appeared in 1976 near the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is believed to have been spread originally by fruit bats. Gorillas, chimpanzees, forest antelopes and porcupines can also spread the virus.

Despite the latest outbreak, the W.H.O. said it was not recommending any travel or trade restrictions in the three affected countries. Nonetheless, news agencies reported Tuesday that Ivory Coast had prevented 400 refugees who had fled to neighboring Liberia during the violent 2010-11 Ivorian political upheaval from re-entering the country. Agence France-Presse said Bruno Kone, an Ivorian government spokesman, had justified the move, quoting him as saying, “We cannot be lax in this area.”

Ebola probably moves too fast to become a global pandemic because sick people are generally identified very quickly which significantly increases the efficacy of quarantine measures. Also it requires contact with infected blood which makes avoiding contraction significantly easier.

If it mutates somehow to allow for airborne transmission then we might be on to something.