Deseases and Evolution's "Natural Selection"

[mooeypoo]

Okay, this is a bit theoretical but it seemed like the best way to put it.

 

Theoretically, if we could have shielded ourselves COMPLETELY against outside menaces like viruses and deseases, do you think we would be healthy "forever", or would we develop some other sorts of medical problems to "compensate" ?

 

Aren't deseases also a way that natural selection (bad word but... err.. you know what I mean) operates?

 

The question comes because on the "Live Forever?" thread in the forum Cap'n Refsmmat mentioned that we don't live forever MAINLY because of deseases. But maybe it also has to do with evolution and nature?

 

We all know about the "natural selection" of evolution, the question is will it come to bite us back even after we shield ourselves from desease... ?

[fafalone]

Well since aging is usually causitive of cells degrading and dying... it would have no impact at all on the ability to live forever.

[Atlantic]

no bacteria, no viruses.

 

It would be chaotic, image if nothing ever decayed, then no nutriens would be recycled, and you would eventually run out of food and die. There are tons of other things but i wont' go into all of them

[Ms. DNA]

What about the role of our own daily habits in promoting good health? Sleep, exercise, and good nutrition (or the lack thereof) all play a role in your general health; are you counting them? Perhaps natural selection would reduce the number of couch potatoes in the general population. And I don't think you can consider all diseases "outside" influences, as many of them have some genetic component.

[Glider]

Moreover, there's an increasing body of evidence to suggest that 'ultra-clean' environments are harmful in the long term. It has been suggested that being raised in a very clean environment denies the developing immune system the normal range of pathogens to work on and so it sensitizes to what's available, usually innocuous things like pollen, house dust and so-on, even our own bodies (autoimmune disorders are on the increase). It has been suggested that the increase in asthma and allergies and other immune disorders is the product of modern domestic hygene.

[mooeypoo]

I didn't thnk about the genetic deseases, yeah.

 

but what Glider said in his point was exactly my question, I meant like what would be the effects of not being "menaced" by deseases in the long run.

 

So basically - in the long run - deseases are good for humanity.

 

That's can actually raise some extremely difficult questions :\

 

~moo