Nature will have its way, always

In my course on English Writing in University of California at Berkeley through http://www.edx.org, I was expected to create controversy so that many people differ with my point of view. See if I have managed to do so.

Undergoing various programs during the last 2 years and following various events I experience or read about, I have understood that nature has its own ways of restoring parity. Nature does restore parity from time to time. Human Beings, in spite of all their eagerness for controlling nature, are always at the mercy of nature. I am convinced that there exists a superpower. I have been taught to refer to his superpower as God. No matter who does what in our lives, till the day Science can demystify the entire creation, I will remain an ardent worshiper of God and will accept his will.

I start my discussion on claims of Science that we have enormous control over diseases. I do not believe that there is truth in this statement. This is in spite of the fact that Medical Science is very advanced today. The rate of death has reduced immensely during the last century across the globe. The general life expectancy has increased across most communities. Let us look at a few examples of how nature changes parameters and does a balancing act on these aspects.

1. Bark Beetle and Death from suffocation.
Bark Beetle is a tiny insect in forests where Pine Trees exist. Bark Beetles can induce a certain fungus on Pine Trees, which can make Pine Trees die. So, Pine Trees produce a gum to which Bark Beetles stick and die. This is a natural war.

Now, it has been found that Bark Beetles are reproducing more often as compared to the past. This could be due to Global Warming among other reasons. So, Bark Beetle population is on the rise. As a result there are more Bark Beetles that can infect Pine Trees. It has been noticed that more Pine Trees are dying. This is producing more dead wood in the forest. This dead wood is leading to more forest fires. These forest fires produce a particle called PM-25 (Particulate Matter 25), which is about 1/25th time the diameter of a human hair in size. When PM-25 enters a human body, it causes congestion of the lungs and leads to death.

It has been noticed that deaths due to lung congestions among people aged below 5 years and above 65 years is on the rise in areas close to forest fires.

2. Salt content in Water and Bangladesh
Due to rise in sea levels, Sea Water is seeping into sources of fresh water. Bangladesh is a country that is not much above the sea level. It has been noticed that salt contents of the fresh water in Bangladesh is on the rise. This is most possibly due to the seawater seeping into the sources of fresh water. This is leading to people and especially pregnant women consuming water with higher level of salt content. This is leading to higher blood pressure. This is resulting in the Babies born to be of smaller size. Also, when the babies mature, they are found to be short-tempered.

It needs noticing whether the life expectancy of people of Bangladesh falls over the next few decades. Definitely being short-tempered will lead to many more diseases in the people. And this has a high chance for either death or for permanent disability.

3. Malaria and Africa
A lot of war has been ensued on Malaria. WHO has supplied DDT for free for many years to counterattack Malaria. Human have achieved success in containing this disease. However, Malaria is making a come back. There are traces of fresh epidemic noticed in Southern African countries.

Malaria is caused by 2 bites. An Anopheles Mosquito bites a person infected with Malaria. During this bite, the Malaria Parasite is transferred from Infected Person to the Mosquito. The Malaria Parasite then matures while with the Mosquito. Once the Parasite is ready, the Mosquito bites the healthy person. The healthy person is now infected with Malaria.

It is noticed that the Mosquitoes are multiplying at more rapid rate. Also, the Malaria Parasite is maturing much faster. Once nature strikes the right balance between the growth of the parasite and the growth of the mosquitoes, Malaria is likely to start causing huge concern once again.

Now, let us consider another perspective. Recently, In India, there was a massive landslide and flood in the hills of Uttarakhand. Scores of people died in this disaster. Scientists are trying finding scientific reasons for the cause of this disaster. The matter is getting diverted to the Shiva Temple that survived the disaster, while most of the other structures were washed away. It is possible that the Shiva Temple, which was constructed many centuries ago, had a better architectural design for dealing with the terrains as compared to the modern structures created in a hurry. But then why should a lake swell all of a sudden and wash away an entire community? Could this not be the nature fighting back for restoring parity?

From another perspective, I have read stories that Moses survived his travel through the desert without food and water. Man subjected Moses to this state. Under normal circumstances he should have died. But he did not die. I was convinced that this story could be true when I went through a tough time in my life. I suddenly lost a very luxurious job. In spite of my talent, I could not earn any money. At first this seemed as my bad luck to me. But then, this could have been designed and executed by man. The Government could have controlled these men. I lost everything except our house. My wife and children left me. I did not eat for 35 days at a stretch. I should have died. But then I did not die. My life was gradually restored to luxury.

Facts are evolving that a President of USA designed a housing policy, which ensured that lesser desirable citizen were allocated houses in disaster prone areas. But then these people did not perish. They have thrived and are respected and adored. They are even holding the Nuclear Button today.

CONCLUSION
I agree with my Professors from University of Edinburgh that it is naive to claim victory over infectious diseases. I elaborate this conclusion to assert that it is naïve to ever think that human being will one day be able to control nature. We may develop science for the known variables. But then nature has so many unexposed variables, which is still not known to human. The unexposed variables are known to human only when nature desires human knowing of them.

I like being called a student of Science. But then till the day the mystery of the creating of life is unearthed, we should never make the mistake of claiming victory over nature.

People say it in different ways. Americans say “IN GOD WE TRUST”. We Indians pray the Almighty at every instance. The bottom-line is while we keep solving problems, we should not make the mistake of believing that we will ever become GOD. Nature will do what it wills when it deems fit.