I'm reading a book called Survival of the Sickest, and it's really interesting.
It talks about how humans use evolution to create diseases to help us survive longer.

For instance, it talks about how Diabetes was created during the Ice Age to help us battle the extreme cold.


Anyone read it? If not, I'll go in to more detail.

http://www.survivalofthesickestthebook.com/index.php

O.o

intresting

This post was edited by Djsem on Dec 12 2008 09:59pm

Oh, maybe you guys should just read that..

the book sounds interesting, I might actually buy it

I've heard about the mutually beneficial evolution of humans/other species and internal bacteria/microbiology, but that book sounds like it takes things a lot further. This reminds me of the idea that if you cut certain plants (pruning, etc.), they will feel like they're in trouble, and so they'll see increase growth. The corrolary would be that if you fight a disease, you will fight harder to live; or, perhaps, that when you break a bone, it can for some cases grow heal and become stronger than ever. I don't know if that's part of the basic direction that book has turned toward, because it sounds like the book contains a different discussion, but it's interesting.

lol the movie the happening is a very loose example of that

This is why many martial artists do impact training with their bones. When the bone breaks and heals with that kind of impact, it creates a honeycomb structure that is stronger than before.

very interesting

Also the heterozygous genetic condition of having one sickle cell gene (having both will result in the actual disease) is thought to protect against malaria.

EDIT:That makes sense, I should have a word with my teacher then (he explained to us that having the heterozygous condition would provide malaria resistance, and the homozygous condition would provide no advantage, as you'd presumably die of sickle cell anemia).

EDIT:An article on the advantages of being heterozygous, I guess my teacher was right after all

http://sickle.bwh.harvard.edu/malaria_sickle.html

This post was edited by Myrddrall9 on Dec 13 2008 12:01am

Being a carrier of sickle cell anemia does make one immune to malaria. Has something to do with the jagged shape of the cells making it so malaria isn't able to properly attack the system.

This post was edited by Cheeeezewiz on Dec 12 2008 11:47pm