Stupid human race

[srw]

But the population of Europe was much lower at the time...

Coincidentally, the absolute death toll from the Black Death in Europe is about the same as the estimated death toll from Spanish 'flu worldwide.

The Spanish flu was particularly nasty because it hit a population already ravaged by war and affected young, otherwise healthy adults disproportionately. But it burnt itself out very quickly indeed, and populations recovered (in numbers and economically) within a few years. The Black Death set the whole of the cultural and economic life of Europe back half a century, and population levels didn't recover for another three centuries.

Is it "modern medicine" or more to do with clean water and sufficient food?

Just wondering rather than disagreeing just to be clear. Vaccination at least must have made a big difference,

Fair point - I suspect that in the bigger worldwide picture it's a combination of all three. But life expectancy and health levels are still improving* in developed parts of the world - Europe and the US particularly - where clean water and sufficient food are just about universally available. That's healthcare.

*post written in 2016; by 2020 this might no longer be true....

 

[TheDoctor]

Scientists have released a drug that can reduce cancer rates by up to 40%. It's called healthy living. Before insisting billions are spent on magic pills how about we spend our money wisely in reducing it ourselves leaving the money to be spent on variants and diseases which aren't of our own making.

Maybe you could email my dad and let him know? Best hurry up, but he'd be delighted to have an answer to his prostate cancer problems.
Had he not died in January, that is.

 

[Markymark]

Maybe you could email my dad and let him know? Best hurry up, but he'd be delighted to have an answer to his prostate cancer problems.
Had he not died in January, that is.

First I am very sad to hear about your dad. I too have lost people I love from this horrible disease.

I do not wish to argue with you as you are clearly right. My point, thiugh, is in the op that a society shouldn't spend on anything when something as horrific as cancer exists. I disagree with this. As a society we have to spend our resources wisely and across the board. And that if we really did want to tackle cancer one thing we could do that would make a massive dent is adopt s different way of living. Again, as a society we can't go on as we are snd just expect all money to be spent creating cures for the problems it can create for some. I have heard it is as much as 40%. Clearly that leaves a devastating 60% whose lives will literally be torn apart by this. And I hope that again as a society we are working to help beat it. But not at the expense on everything else. As I have also lost loved ones from other causes, not just disease. And ther are other things governments need to do other than curing diseases like maintaining living standards and keeping people safe. This all requires money.

 

[Chromatic]

Every time I read this thread title it brings this to mind:



and yes, (see what I did there?) I know it is silly human race.