Engineering News

I see suicide made it into the top ten list over the last 100+ years.

Whats that say about society as a whole now?

Suicide was rarely reported as such because it was considered shameful. Cancer similarly. Alzheimer's was called senility. We're doing a LOT better.

I think it's part of the human condition... the price we pay for a big brain that can think too much and thus worry.
Same as Cheetah with a sprained ankle is prob' doomed.
Maybe being thick has compensations?
There probably isn't any more cancer, prob' just more is diagnosed or reported as the cause of death.
In Neolithic times there were no deaths due to 'cancer', but a lot of deaths caused by 'Uggg him dead'
Del

The findings don't surprise me. As some diseases are cured, the odds are that people will live longer and contract diseases that have a longer 'incubation' time (so to speak). I.e., aging brings an increased risk of heart disease as the heart wears out; likewise some cancers are due to long-term exposures or due to an accumulation effect from a chosen lifestyle. Same with neurological diseases like alzheimer's.

Compared to 100 years ago we live longer due to improved medicine, to better nutrition (refrigeration, understanding of food preparation), to better and quicker access to hospitals and emergency care and immediate care facilities. We also have better access to medical information. And of course, there is less chance of dying an accidental death from working at a computer than operating farm machinery.

As for the increased rate of suicides, I have to believe that is partly due to the constant barrage of bad news we get from media. Whether its the bad news we get a steady dose of on local evening news, or horrible news from all over the world we see on the 24/7 news and opinion networks and the internet, it can be pretty d@mn depressing to watch that stuff.

The full article is available at:

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1113569

and is worthwhile reading for anyone with an interest in the subject. The subject of diseases emerging (HIV and those consequent on the management of diabetes) as well as virtually disappearing (diphtheria and TB) is discussed. Senilitry disappears and Alzheimer's appears in its stead. Motor accidents appeared as an important cause of death in the 1930s and were relegated in the 1990s.

More people die of heart disease and cancer now because they don't die younger of the other causes prevalent in 1900. The mortality rate is still 100% from all causes.

As Jim Morrison is reputed to have stated, "Nobody gets outta here alive."