What would happen to the world's politics, religion, pop culture, etc. if another devastating infection like the black death (plague) were to hit today's society? Would we be fully prepared, or would a sixth of the world's population be wiped out again?
I'd think this would belong in the Tavern but oh well. It's doubtful that an infection could be so wide spread if it was that serious, we now know how diseases are transmitted, preventitive measures, have the use of quarantines and medicine, along with mass communication ability. It would cause trouble worldwide, but it's doubtful we would lose a sixth of the population unless it is extremely easy to spread and has a long period before which it can be detected.
We dont thank modern medicine enough. Hip-hip hooray for medicine. I agree with Kasic.I It's quite unlikely, we're well prepared. Unless it's something completely unexpected like the T-virus.
What would happen to the world's politics, religion, pop culture, etc. if another devastating infection like the black death (plague) were to hit today's society? Would we be fully prepared, or would a sixth of the world's population be wiped out again?
it wouldn't be nearly that bad thanks to todays medical technology.
I'm pretty sure we'd be much more prepared this time thanks to modern day medical technology. If there is an awful plague or anything of that sort, it shouldn't be horrible enough to be able to wipe out a sixth of our population, if that did happen it would be pretty shocking.
Yeah but the point is that about a billion people died not the entire worlds population. And I think thata at least religions would be stopped since even people who have been brainwashed can agree that if God was here he would allow this. Again some REALLY religious people would say "god works in mysterious ways. I don't think that that is much of an argument.
Religious following usually increases in times of death. People find it comfortable to think their loved ones are in a better place. As for pop culture, it would be nice music became relevant again seeing as people would have real issues to sing about. If I (mad scientist like) created nanos, I would have them devour Justin Bieber from the inside out. Slow and blissfully painful.
It's doubtful that an infection could be so wide spread if it was that serious, we now know how diseases are transmitted, preventitive measures, have the use of quarantines and medicine, along with mass communication ability. It would cause trouble worldwide, but it's doubtful we would lose a sixth of the population unless it is extremely easy to spread and has a long period before which it can be detected.
All I really can say is, SARS. If SARS had been more severe we'd've been in serious trouble. Not all illnesses are easily detected. SARS was misdiagnosed, which is why it spread the way it did. Also, disease can spread very quickly around the world thanks to air travel.
In truth, Modern Medicine would work later. 1900 Medicine using the philosophy of quarantining those who are sick would be the sole factor in saving people. In the Black Plague, people would just touch their loved ones and go bury them without any protection, get coughed on. Those who were sick would go to places where people would eat. Cities were really crowded, lots of more hobos on the street, etcetera.
So really, if anyone got this supervirus, chances are we'd just keep them in a hospital and try to fix it, keeping the outbreak relatively stable and then we'd use modern medicine to hopefully get rid of it (Unless if it's like AIDS or something)
Assuming this fails, then I'm guessing we'd just hit another recession and times would be tough. Religion up, Sad music up, and more insane people saying the world is ending.
