humanity
Advocates, icons, influencers, and more. All about humanity.
A Terrible Person Does Terrible Things to Save Humanity from a Terrible Disease
The story of how English Physician Edward Jenner "invented" the smallpox vaccine is oft told. He noted that there was one population of persons that were never infected with smallpox, milkmaids. It turns out that the milkmaids would get infected with a different but similar virus, cowpox (cowpox virus is also referred to as Vaccinia though in truth it is only related to Vaccinia with both belonging to the Genus Orthopoxvirus), which provided protection against infection with the deadly small pox virus (Variola virus, also a member of Genus Orthopoxvirus). From this one observation came the birth of the first successfully developed vaccine. It is a vaccine which would lead to the elimination of a truly terrible disease that had been a scourge of humanity since ancient times. The first recorded smallpox epidemic occurred in 1350 B.C.E., during the Egyptian-Hittite War. In 430 B.C.E., the second year of the Peloponnesian War, smallpox hit Athens and killed more than 30,000 people, reducing the population by 20 percent. Even into modern times, before Jenner's vaccine, when a case of smallpox was discovered in a particular community, the standard operating procedure was to burn it to the ground. The disease was that feared.
By Everyday Junglist4 years ago in Longevity
Freedom, power -never balanced
Freedom is…The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants, The state of not being imprisoned or enslaved The state of not being subject to or affected by something undesirabl This is the official definition of the word freedom.
By JPWrites.24 years ago in Longevity
Recommitting
I have wanted to lose weight since I can remember. I’ve been overweight, I’ve had an eating disorder and everything in between. It has not been an easy road mentally or physically up to this point. I’ve been “committed” to my journey more times than I can count, and I always stop for one reason or another. I always end up right back where I started. I’ve said “this is the last time I’m going to restart” more times than I’d like to admit. I really don’t even want to say it again. However, I am growing as a person, I am learning more about what I can and cannot handle, and what I can and cannot do. One of my biggest faults is that I give it absolutely everything in me, or I give it nothing. Frequently, I give it absolutely everything, get burnt out too quickly, then give up. Even at the start of this year. I tried to do 75 Hard, and about 25 days in, I fell off and tried to keep going, then I ended up with a flare up and used it as an excuse to forget the whole thing.
By Emily McDonald4 years ago in Longevity
One Mexican Fisherman - One American Businessman - 3 Life Lessons
If you're unfamiliar with the Mexican fisherman/American businessman story, it is a tale that speaks to the modern age in a simple yet profound way. It's also loving, humorous, and culturally rich.
By Andy Murphy 4 years ago in Longevity
Week 3 of My 12-Week Fitness Challenge: Not Doing Good
Here I am, a quarter of the way through my 12-week fitness challenge and I've only lost 6 pounds thus far. And this past week was terrible in terms of eating and physical activity. The silly thing is that I know what my problem is, but I just can't seem to stay focused for longer than 12 hours at a time.
By Michael Brockbank4 years ago in Longevity
Getting to know an Aries
"Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained" That saying is an Aries in a nutshell. No matter what the situation or challenge is, good or bad, positive or negative, the Hold-My-Beer Attitude of an Aries is Unparalleled. Although strongest when focused, and intelligently tempering their action, an Aries tends to find it easier to express themselves in a more immature and reckless way, leaving a tornado trail of faded enthusiasm behind them.
By Amargeaux Rai4 years ago in Longevity
Completion out of the void
Completion out of the void A Healer, or one who can Heal… By Akil-Kuumba Kelley Knowledge of Herbal Medicine is a gift that keeps giving, as glad as I am to be in this field, I never chose it. Instead, it descended upon me. I was first introduced to herbal medicine through foraging wild foods. Since I had learned that several wild plants are not only edible but quite tasty, I was enamored with the idea. I thus decided to make a wild foods cookbook as my high school senior project, even then I had not considered being an herbalist. As my school focused primarily on college prep the future was monotone as far as opportunity was concerned.
By Empty Poetry and Verse4 years ago in Longevity
