Paul Ewald: Can we domesticate germs?

http://www.ted.com Evolutionary biologist Paul Ewald drags us into the sewer to discuss germs. Why are some more harmful than others? How could we make the harmful ones benign? Searching for answers, he examines a disgusting, fascinating case: diarrhea.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Paul
• Ewald
• ted
• tedtalks
• germs
• biology
• evolution
• science
• global
• issues
• health
• illness
• medicine
• water

[dubsconjr]

AIDS doesn't actually kill its host . . . it weakens the host immune system such that a small infection typically fended off by healthy immune systems(common cold, etc.) can become lethal.

[DanHasAMillion]

more clean water in 3rd world countries!

[sondano]

@Trinitysx no it's not. There is no example of any microbial species ever evolving into a multicellular creature within 3 centuries. That takes hundreds of thousands if not millions of years. Besides the lifespan of pathogenic microbes varies greately depending on the circumstances. Most do not live for more than a few months others can live for decades in the right conditions.

[Trinitysx]

@sondano the life span of these germs are like 5 hrs.. so yes 3 centuries is a long time

[sondano]

@Trinitysx putting aside the fact that not all organisms evolve into more complex ones and that plenty of microbials species have in fact evolved into more resilent organisms (they can do it just within a few decades in some cases) Leeuwenhoek worked in the 17th century. You call a few centuries "a long time" in evolution?

[AFG34]

if you found this TED talk interesting read "survival of the sickest" especially the chapter "of microbes and men"



[DocUnsane]

@Trinitysx

re-read my initial comment (edit the typo from builogical to biological)

organisms evolve to occupy a 'place' in the food-chain/environment, Not to become more complex organisms.

PS: an adaptation is a physical change.

you need to look up what evolution actually is....

[Trinitysx]

@DocUnsane A germs life span is around is around from 30 seconds to to 30mins

For them 100 years is like what 1billion years

that's enough time to evolve

and they haven't evolved or changed at all

Adapt yes but physical changes no...

[DocUnsane]

@Trinitysx

'germs' havnt evolved into 'bugs' because then what would occupy their builogical niche? Things dont necessarily constantly evolve into more complex organisms, they evolve to be more effective at reproduction and survival.

plus the time scale from 'germs' to 'bugs' is probably much longer than from when the microscope was invented.