Cure for the common cold 'in sight'.

[Daystar Clarion]

http://uk.health.lifestyle.yahoo.net/Discovery-paves-the-way-for-a-cure-for-the-common-cold.htm

It seem the days of the common cold and many other viral infections are numbered, UK doctors are closing in on the solution and many things like HIV and the flu will be a lot more treatable. This solution may only leave cancer as one of our biggest killers.

This begs the question, what problems do you think will arise if mankind manages to cure most illesses? What if disease and illness are the only things (other than each other) left in the world that can cut down our numbers enough so that overpopulation isn't yet acute?

Discuss.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Remember a while ago though when they said that soon penicillin is going to become obsolete because almost all diseases have evolved past it? (or adapted past it or whatever the correct term is)

Eventually new diseases will spring up to fill the void of the ones we've managed to eliminate, it's the way things have happened throughout history. And then we'll find cures to them.

Also, to suggest that simply curing HIV/AIDS/the flu will lead to a sudden increase in the population implies that the American medical companies that develop them won't overcharge so heavily only the insanely rich will be able to afford it is pretty naieve (or trusting at least.)

This won't solve the AIDS problem in Africa by a long, long shot.

 

[The Bucket]

Im not too worried about this causing overpopulation in the future. Since (relative) world peace in the last few decades has been caused by a everyone being in the largest mexican standoff in history via our good friend the nuke (give international relations however much credit you think its due) we'll probably have a good sized war to thin the numbers pretty soon. And by thin the numbers, I mean obliderate us all. *sigh*

 

[The Procrastinated End]

Well first I'm just going to put this here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122602394113507555.html

The population will balance itself out somehow, big war, new resistant strains of diseases, the discovery that people taste delicious when cooked properly.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Remember a while ago though when they said that soon penicillin is going to become obsolete because almost all diseases have evolved past it? (or adapted past it or whatever the correct term is)

Eventually new diseases will spring up to fill the void of the ones we've managed to eliminate, it's the way things have happened throughout history. And then we'll find cures to them.

Also, to suggest that simply curing HIV/AIDS/the flu will lead to a sudden increase in the population implies that the American medical companies that develop them won't overcharge so heavily only the insanely rich will be able to afford it is pretty naieve (or trusting at least.)

This won't solve the AIDS problem in Africa by a long, long shot.

We obviously have to take into consideration viral evolution, do you think we will have a whole new set of things to worry about or will it not be enough to offset our ability to find cures quite quickly? Mind you, we do have the hospital super bugs like MRSA. Maybe we'll get something like that on a world scale to replace the common cold?

 

[FinalHeart95]

That would be impressive, seeing as how a new version of the common cold sprouts up extremely rapidly. Same reason we can't find a vaccine for AIDS, or a constant vaccine for the flu (as in one shot and maybe a booster or two).