Ok very old question, if you were in the position where you could cure all the world's diseases but you had to take the life of one innocent child would you do it?

At the risk of sounding cold, I have to say that I would do it in a blink, without second thought.

Cure all diseases? I'm sure that would have all kinds of nasty side-effects.

Overpopulation? Crash of half the Health Care industry? Possible end of biological warfare? Almost no medical monopoly? Longer lifespans? Please point out the nasty side-effects.

I would.

I don't know, I'm not a medical specialist. But nature isn't meant to be messed with. Don't diseases have an important role in Human Evolution?

[ 12-28-2003, 05:49 AM: Message edited by: Dreamer128 ]

Of course, 1 life of 1 innocent child will save the lives of a million lives of a million innocent children. Its a no brainer.

Dependant Dreamer. They most definately do involve evolution however, heres the thing. When people die from lets say... malaria, the survivors bred for generations eventually ending up with Sickle Cell Anemia, this prevents malaria because the malformed cells don't have the oxygen for the parasite. However, if malaria never existed, why would we ever need sickle cell anemia? The disease causes the evolution, without the disease the evolution isn't necessary.

Overpopulation would be the biggest concern IMO.

[ 12-28-2003, 08:13 AM: Message edited by: Azimaith ]

Well, let's just hope that off-world habitats come active as soon as possible. :D

Well, how many people really die of disease in the first world? I think overpopulation in Africa is partially caused by disease. Because people feel they might no longer be able to work at a later age, they make sure they have plenty of kids to take care of them.

I would have to say yes What would make this more interesting would be if it was would you cure all the worlds diseases butyou had to die yourself

This is really the same question except it adds something personal to it which makes it totally different.

Better yet, make it someone you care about. I do doubt that people would sacrifice their mother for this cause.

How about xwife? To rid of us the dreaded hang nail epidemic!

Sacrifice family? Will my mother-in-law do? Oh wait.. someone I care about ;)

Most of them I believe. Heart disease and cancers are the biggest killers in Australia AFAIK.

I think some clarification of 'cure' is necessary. Does this mean that medicines will be available to treat all diseases successfully, so people will still get the diseases but they will be treatable and non-fatal? Or that we will have vaccines for all diseases? Or that the diseases will be eradicated entirely? Certainly my answer would depend on which of these is meant.

Further, will the 'cures' be available to everyone? For example, the progression and severity of AIDS in the first world has been markedly improved in the last few years by drugs. These would be of enormous benefit to the millions of AIDS sufferers in Africa, however they are not available to the vast majority. How about cost - would they be expensive to buy even in developed countries? A situation where cures were available only to the privileged would not be palatable to me.

Finally, who would this child be? Is anyone here volunteering their child (or themselves)? [img]graemlins/idontagreeatall.gif[/img]

Id do it even if it were myself. I doubt that Im ever going to accomplish something in my life, or be more than a burden on the world, at least this way Id die with honor and make some people happy.
-Brainless One