Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: International Committee Against Mars Sample Return Website
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 04:03:04 GMT

In article <20000308210242.02589.00000782@ng-fs1.aol.com>,
BrianF5070 <brianf5070@aol.com> wrote:
>Personally, this is what *I* worry about.  It doesn't even have to be a very
>deep hole.  I'm concerned every time they dig a well for a new house that some
>of that 1919 influenza will squirm up.  Or some smallpox...

Fortunately, smallpox doesn't survive long outside the body; it has no
durable dormant form.  That's what permitted its extermination.

*Except* when it's frozen, that is.  Anyone digging up old graves in the
Arctic, or cleaning out old bacteriology-lab freezers for that matter,
needs to take a few precautions.
--
Computer disaster in February?  Oh, you |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
must mean the release of Windows 2000.  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)

Newsgroups: sci.space.policy
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: International Committee Against Mars Sample Return Website
Date: Thu, 9 Mar 2000 19:47:20 GMT

In article <scfd3sh9bi7165@corp.supernews.com>,
Robert Maas <rem@shell.netmagic.net> wrote:
><<smallpox doesn't survive long outside the body; ... *Except* when
>it's frozen, that is.  Anyone digging up old graves in the Arctic, or
>cleaning out old bacteriology-lab freezers for that matter, needs to
>take a few precautions.>>
>
>From the AIDS epidemic, we all know some people foolishly get
>themselves infected then spread the infection to others.

Yes, although in the case of AIDS, the situation was greatly aggravated by
its very long incubation period.  Smallpox's incubation period is long
enough to be a nuisance -- a week or two during which the victim is
infectious without obvious symptoms -- but not long enough to be disastrous,
especially since smallpox is rather less contagious than was once thought.
(The eradication program proceeded rapidly only after that was realized.)
Occasional outbreaks from accidents to lab personnel have been contained
quite easily, I believe.

>Do you know
>anyone with legal expertise who could help us draft the law for the
>California initiative next year?

Not offhand... and bear in mind that if rationally drafted, this is going
to be a law applying to only a very limited set of people.  Frozen graves
are not common in California :-), so persons returning from construction
or archeological digs in the far north and people working in bacteriology
labs with long-unthawed freezers are about the only real risks.  Is this
really worth legislating?
--
Computer disaster in February?  Oh, you |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
must mean the release of Windows 2000.  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)

Newsgroups: sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary,alt.astronomy
From: henry@spsystems.net (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Hawaii (was Re: Use of times zones, eg EST
Date: Thu, 22 Feb 2001 17:00:27 GMT

In article <3a952b32@news.qnet.com>, Starlord <starlord@qnet<*> wrote:
>And all England did was bring small pox and other things like that to
>the islands.

If it hadn't been the British, it would have been the Americans.  The only
Pacific island group that escaped smallpox was New Zealand -- also under
British administration.

(N.Z. was isolated enough that only one ship carrying smallpox called
there before the development and widespread use of safe vaccination, and
the British governor managed to contain that outbreak with a rigorous
quarantine.  Hawaii wasn't so lucky.)
--
When failure is not an option, success  |  Henry Spencer   henry@spsystems.net
can get expensive.   -- Peter Stibrany  |      (aka henry@zoo.toronto.edu)