This (http://www.wtop.com/267/3550897/Scientists-find-ancient-plague-DNA-in-teeth) is interesting, and worrying:
QuoteScientists say two of the deadliest pandemics in history were caused by strains of the same plague and warn that new versions of the bacteria could spark future outbreaks.
Researchers found tiny bits of DNA in the teeth of two German victims killed by the Justinian plague about 1,500 years ago. With those fragments, they reconstructed the genome of the oldest bacteria known.
They concluded the Justinian plague was caused by a strain of Yersinia pestis, the same pathogen responsible for the Black Death that struck medieval Europe. The study was published online Tuesday in the journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The two plagues packed quite a punch. The Justinian Plague is thought to have wiped out half the globe as it spread across Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. And the Black Death killed about 50 million Europeans in just four years during the 14th century.
I'll admit, I probably have a slightly irrational fear of the bubonic plague. Well, maybe not irrational on a historical scale, given the vast amounts of death it is responsible for...but maybe. Unfortunately, the only modern bubonic plague epidemic was the 1855 outbreak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Plague_Pandemic) in China and India, so while I'm sure the CDC etc has models for it, the nearest approximate historical analogy is not comforting.
While it seems the normal version of the plague is more easily contained, it's that something like a "radiation event" can cause a mutation which concerns me. Something completely uncontrollable, that creates a variant which is far more virulent and deadly. And of course, let's not forget the biological warfare applications of an enchanced virus. Japan experimented (and used) bubonic plague in WWII. Even if it was never intended to be deployed, the kind of countries that would mess around with plague are the kind of country with typically poor control on weapons use (let's not forget, up until the 1960s, US military commanders could have gone rogue and initiated nuclear war on their own).
What benefit would there be to weaponizing the plague? Wouldn't that have a large potential of shooting yourself in the foot?
Well, I suppose nukes do that too....
Once you get locked into a serious drug collectionkill craze, the tendency is to push it as far as you can
From what I understand there are bactaria that are harmless but are fully resist antibiotics. There is a concern that this bacteria may ttansfer its resistence to other bacterial diseases like TB.
If that happened with the plague..,
Pretty sure I am not talking out of my ass, but I just woke up and didnt look for links yet,
Either way, terrifying.
Quote from: THE PHYTOPHTHORATIC HOLDER OF THE ADVANCED DEGREE on January 28, 2014, 02:11:42 PM
What benefit would there be to weaponizing the plague? Wouldn't that have a large potential of shooting yourself in the foot?
Well, I suppose nukes do that too....
There is no idea for killing people that is so retarded that someone, somewhere, will not spend billions of dollars on actualizing it.
Cf; the Manhatten Project, killer drones the size of bees, Project Stargate, Earth Battalion One etc etc
The typical Mutually Assured Destruction window-lick practically guarantees it.
Yersinia Pestis is a very easily weaponized bacteria...and while it's easy to treat an individual (a bit of antibiotic and you're there), mass casualties, not so much.
So of course at least 4 governments have dicked around with it at one time or another. Japan, Russia, America, and China.
BECAUSE it's retarded.
Quote from: Dirty Old Uncle Roger on January 29, 2014, 03:21:35 AM
Yersinia Pestis is a very easily weaponized bacteria...and while it's easy to treat an individual (a bit of antibiotic and you're there), mass casualties, not so much.
So of course at least 4 governments have dicked around with it at one time or another. Japan, Russia, America, and China.
BECAUSE it's retarded.
Well, there was also the siege of Caffa, but the army using it as a weapon were catapulting their own corpses.
Quote from: THE PHYTOPHTHORATIC HOLDER OF THE ADVANCED DEGREE on January 29, 2014, 03:28:48 AM
Quote from: Dirty Old Uncle Roger on January 29, 2014, 03:21:35 AM
Yersinia Pestis is a very easily weaponized bacteria...and while it's easy to treat an individual (a bit of antibiotic and you're there), mass casualties, not so much.
So of course at least 4 governments have dicked around with it at one time or another. Japan, Russia, America, and China.
BECAUSE it's retarded.
Well, there was also the siege of Caffa, but the army using it as a weapon were catapulting their own corpses.
There were hundreds of instances like that. I'm talking about making a proper weapon out of it, either by modifying it, or by creating a substrate that can support it until it can get the job done.
Quote from: Cain on January 28, 2014, 10:10:00 AM
This (http://www.wtop.com/267/3550897/Scientists-find-ancient-plague-DNA-in-teeth) is interesting, and worrying:
QuoteScientists say two of the deadliest pandemics in history were caused by strains of the same plague and warn that new versions of the bacteria could spark future outbreaks.
Researchers found tiny bits of DNA in the teeth of two German victims killed by the Justinian plague about 1,500 years ago. With those fragments, they reconstructed the genome of the oldest bacteria known.
They concluded the Justinian plague was caused by a strain of Yersinia pestis, the same pathogen responsible for the Black Death that struck medieval Europe. The study was published online Tuesday in the journal, Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The two plagues packed quite a punch. The Justinian Plague is thought to have wiped out half the globe as it spread across Asia, North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. And the Black Death killed about 50 million Europeans in just four years during the 14th century.
I'll admit, I probably have a slightly irrational fear of the bubonic plague. Well, maybe not irrational on a historical scale, given the vast amounts of death it is responsible for...but maybe. Unfortunately, the only modern bubonic plague epidemic was the 1855 outbreak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Plague_Pandemic) in China and India, so while I'm sure the CDC etc has models for it, the nearest approximate historical analogy is not comforting.
While it seems the normal version of the plague is more easily contained, it's that something like a "radiation event" can cause a mutation which concerns me. Something completely uncontrollable, that creates a variant which is far more virulent and deadly. And of course, let's not forget the biological warfare applications of an enchanced virus. Japan experimented (and used) bubonic plague in WWII. Even if it was never intended to be deployed, the kind of countries that would mess around with plague are the kind of country with typically poor control on weapons use (let's not forget, up until the 1960s, US military commanders could have gone rogue and initiated nuclear war on their own).
Dear Cain,
On these premises
that an outbreak is inevitable,
people will not stop pooping out too many babies,
and that a cure does not exist.
I would say that the sooner the better!
Our population density is only going up, which makes more harder to avoid the germs.....
Also if it doesn't happen soon enough, we will probably be killed off in some other much worse manner.
At least when a germ kills us we can't be mad at anyone and do more harm with revenge.
Anyone in favor of this notion?
Sincerely,
~O.R.
The old 2/3rds deserve it Troll. Man, that takes me back... :lol:
I think it is safe to say human beings are exponentially capable of doing more harm.
Yeah but they're equally exponentially capable of such acts of love and compassion 'd put a lump in your throat. I say we let them live :lulz:
Sigh....
True, infinite harm&stupidity versus a finite amount of anti-harm.
its like all those nerds that pray for a zombie apocalypse, while having no basic survival skills... IM a special disney princess snowflake OF COURSE i would survive the catastrophe because im smart-strong-thechosenone
oh and not only me, my family cause we has a blood bond of specialness and we transmit it thru frienship to all loved ones 8)