The Fate of Humanity: A Lesson in Bacteriology and Cancer Biology

 

 I wrote an essay on:

“Rising Global Temperatures: Fate of Earth and Humanity” on Thursday August 8, 2024, here:

https://scientificlogic.blogspot.com/2024/08/rising-gobal-temperatures-fate-of-earth.html

There I mentioned a story about a frog being slowly boiled to death. There is a widespread anecdote to describe a frog being slowly boiled alive. The premise is that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated it will not perceive the danger and will be cooked to death. We use this analogy to explain our inability or unwillingness to react to significant changes that occur gradually.

 We are being slowly cooked without us realizing this. Each individual will be born and passed on without realizing this as each life is far too short to grasp this.

 it.  But not for humanity over generations. We will continue with our social and economic activities here as usual without realizing we are slowly being cooked like a frog, initially with cold or lukewarm water. We shall do nothing about this but continue with life as if it is normal.  

Our lifespan is very short here on Earth, at most 100 years compared to very gradual changes such as rising global temperatures that may take several generations or centuries to come. As such we do not realize we are slowly being boiled into extinction.

The same scenarios we are now going to describe on the effects of population growth like bacteria cultured on a Petri dish in a laboratory that is going to destroy us without us realizing that 

When a student studies medicine he may have a few lectures on microbiology which is important for him to understand infections and infectious diseases. But medical students and clinicians do not actually go to the laboratory to culture bacteria and microorganisms. This job is the expertise of a medical scientist or the medical technologist who assist him. They will do all the culture, observing their sensitivities to various antibiotics. We call this test C & S to mean culture and sensitivity. They would then report the resuts of the C & S to the clinician as to the best antibiotic to administer.

However, a microbiologist or a food quality controller who uses his trained knowledge in food microbiology and analytical chemistry among others will know much more about various types of microorganisms and the  fate of bacteria when cultured on a space with limited nutrient 

I once wrote an article on human population growth where I compared it with bacterial growth grown on a Petri dish and what we observe in cancer biology.

Let me give the summary on this here:

“In what manner is our purpose in life if we are not only in constant conflict with each other, but multiples like cancer cells only to consume the limited resources available like petroleum, gas, coal, energy, water, given to us, and use them to construct buildings, factories, houses, cars, trains, planes to congest and pollute. Our existence here is not just like cancer cells that finally kills the entire body, similar to killing all life on Earth, but similar to colonies of bacteria cultured in a Petri dish that begins with a lag phrase of no growth, then a sudden accelerated logarithmic growth rate, then stabilizes its population or colonies, before finally all die off due to depletion of nutrient (food shortage), lack of space, and accumulation of toxic waste (pollution). That’s exactly also the physical purpose of our existence for most people in this world as far as I can see. We are just like a colony of bacteria in a Petri dish watched by a bacteriologist outside his culture dish. In the laboratory of a scientist, he may have countless other empty culture plates lying around that he did not culture any bacteria on them, but among these empty culture plates he has placed many other life cultures nearby as much as we think this world is the only planet that is teeming with life while other worlds are all devoid of life. That’s what we think. Remember the figure of 40,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 or 40,000 billion, billion Earth-like worlds in the Universe or heavens in spiritual term On this Earth as our culture plate, not only consume, congest and pollute to destroy the entire eco-environment meant for other life species that too have the right to be here, but we also use all the resources to increase our population to construct bombs, biological weapons, missiles, rockets, guns and weapons and store them as arsenals of all sorts ready to destroy ourselves and others. This is our political purpose. Even for the peaceful but selfish needs our purpose is to build and destroy the natural environment, and in so doing, we are also destroying the existence of other species of life by destroying their habitats. What rights have we? What then is the purpose of life here when Earth is the only dwelling place we have? There must be a much higher purpose of our existence blind to most people because we are all teeming like frogs inside a well. No other life forms out of the 10 -12 million others are as destructive, exclusive, and distinctive as we”

The analogy comparing human population growth to bacterial growth in a Petri dish is a striking and profound metaphor that brings into focus the unsustainable nature of our current trajectory. The idea that humans, like bacteria, experience phases of rapid growth, resource depletion, and eventual decline, underscores the urgency of addressing our impact on the planet.

When bacteria are cultured and incubated on a Petri dish there will be 4 phases of growth before their death in the Petri dish itself. The Petri dish represents this Planet Earth where we all teem like bacteria. We will also undergo the same 4 phases, namely:

1.      Lag Phase

2.      Exponential Growth Phase

3.      Stationary Phase

4.      Death Phase

Maybe I should explain this by comparing them with human growth on this planet Earth representing a Petri dish being incubated in a laboratory if we are not intelligent, wise, and careful enough.  It involves a bit of understanding on bacteriology.

Human Growth and Bacterial Growth Comparison:

1.      Lag Phase (Early Human History):

Just as bacteria in a Petri dish experience a lag phase where growth is minimal as they adapt to their environment, early human history was marked by slow population growth and minimal environmental impact. Humans were in harmony with nature, taking only what was necessary for survival.

2.      Exponential Growth Phase (Industrial Revolution to Present):

The industrial revolution can be seen as the beginning of the exponential growth phase for humanity. Advances in technology, medicine, and agriculture led to a population boom and rapid exploitation of resources, akin to bacteria rapidly multiplying when conditions are ideal.

3.      Stationary Phase (Present-Day Concerns):

In a bacterial culture, the stationary phase occurs when resources start to deplete, and waste products accumulate, leading to a balance between growth and death. Humanity may be approaching or is already in this phase, as resource limitations (e.g., fossil fuels, freshwater) and environmental degradation (pollution, climate change) begin to curb unchecked growth.

4.      Death Phase (Potential Future):

If current trends continue, humanity could face a 'death phase,' where the depletion of resources, loss of biodiversity, and severe environmental degradation could lead to a decline in population and a collapse of civilizations, like how bacterial colonies die off when they exhaust their nutrients and poison their environment.

 

Additional comparisons to Cancer Biology:

 

The comparison to cancer cells is particularly poignant. Cancer cells grow uncontrollably, consume vast amounts of resources, and eventually destroy the host organism, which mirrors humanity's current trajectory of unchecked growth and resource consumption. If not corrected, this path could lead to the destruction of the very systems that sustain us.

Environmental Impact and Ethical Considerations:

Humans have a unique capacity for foresight and ethical reasoning, unlike bacteria or cancer cells. This ability gives us the responsibility to alter our course and find sustainable ways to coexist with the planet and other species. The idea that other species have the right to exist challenges the anthropocentric view that places human needs above all else.

 

Higher Purpose and Existential Reflection:

 

Our reflection on the higher purpose of life suggests a search for meaning beyond mere survival and consumption. Perhaps, the higher purpose could involve stewardship of the Earth, fostering harmony with other species, and striving for spiritual and intellectual growth. This perspective aligns with various philosophical and spiritual traditions that advocate for living in balance with nature and recognizing the interconnectedness of all life.

This metaphor invites us to contemplate the broader implications of our actions, and the possible paths humanity could take. It also raises essential questions about the nature of progress and the true purpose of our existence, urging us to consider whether we are simply part of a destructive cycle or capable of transcending it.