Saturday 9 January 2010

Unintended Consequences.

Another hypothetical scenario for you to ponder:

Right, we all know now there's a link between HPV virus and cervical cancer. I've said before I believe we'll see more links between various viruses and other types of cancer.

Now it seems that cases of and types of cancer has steadily increased since the 40s.

Now then, I just want you to ponder this: I wonder if the introduction of antibiotics on the 40s was a key factor in triggering the increase in viruses? Could removing or reducing bacterial infections have created a niche that viruses exploited? Could those viruses then be responsible for the increases in cancer over the latter part of the 20th century?

Theoretically, lets say that by introducing antibiotics, we not only kill the bacteria we want to, but inadvertantly kill a bacteria that occupies a niche that a virus could exploit. How would we know, because certainly when antibiotics were introduced, the science of wee things like viruses was in its infancy and wasn't as advanced as now? We've only recently discovered the link between viruses and cancer.

Okay, ponder that for a while, now here's another question: what do you think will be the effects of the introduction of GM crops in 40 years time? After all, the science of genetic manipulation is in its infacy and we still don't fully understand the repercussions of introducing genes from one animal directly into another. So who's to say in 40 year's time we don't find some catastrophic downside?

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