h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Short Study about AIDS/HIV - A2185184
Author: gecko - U211101

This is the second submission of this article, because the first to Writing Workshop was suggested to be removed.
I am not familiar with this system, but let's see what happens now in the collab. workshop> Gecko

Hello Gecko,

I have a suggestion for your abbreviated history of AIDS/HIV.

You made reference to ‘foul possibilities’, wrong contact, improper contacts, and widely practiced human-animal contacts. But I still didn’t get a clear idea of what you meant. Is it petting animals, living in close proximity to animals, eating animals, sexual conduct with animals, or something different?

If the intent is to inform, or persuade, you should be as clear as possible about your position. And, if the behaviour needs to be modified, one would need to know precisely what that behaviour is.

Dear h2g2 Friend:
Thanx for your comment. Very well said, and I recognize the fraze is not clear and does not tell you what is about, what I am referring to, but I will change that very soon. Actually it is worth to add that information, because humans love to find malicious explanations as it was a wide spread rumor going on. I will write it as much as my research shows it.--

I have an other-- a very kind h2g2 Friend also commenting on this study, also suggesting some corrections, I am anxious to do so, as you all are very correct. Thank you again for your kind help.
Gecko

Hello,

There are some (edited) Entries dealing with AIDS-HIV here: A810262 (is the general Entry and liks to other Entries)

Maybe you can find some inspiration those Entries to go on with the origins of HIV.

HELL

Nice to meet you Hell, I am sure you have other name(s) beside this.
I'd like to comment on your entries about AIDS/HIV.
because I read them BEFORE I wrote my short story!

I believe to a short introduction more people will pay attention . I wrote it for the average persons, they are not professionals in health care. With highly technical articles one can only get the attention of the pros. in the field.

Further more I did not include any definite numbers, because those are more likely false infos. There is no way to get correct statistics,- and I am almost sure,that your numbers are much larger, than real cases.

Science aim is to be correct, perfectly correct, even though there is no such thing.
This illness is totally obscure, and myself in 20 years heard only about one young man who died from respiratory problem as consequences of this virus. (?) There were some celebrities in the past publicised as victims of AIDS,- but the truth was perhaps something else.
The virus was around since long time. The chanses are even if there were infections, during the long period of latency the causes of death could have great variety.

So the medical books are perhaps clever: " The origin of the illness is not known." And that is where the story stands.

I'd be interested of your other entries, when I get to them, let you know. With regards: Gecko

Well...

First of all... Hell is what I am called in RL, just as someone called Francis might be called Frank 99% of the time. Of course I do have a full first and surname, but no-one calls me that, except it's a very official issue. At home, in work everywhere it's 'Hell'. Checkout my space for more info if that really matters to you.

Then... coming back to your comment on my post:

"I believe to a short introduction more people will pay attention."

Yup. The more the better!

"I wrote it for the average persons, they are not professionals in health care. With highly technical articles one can only get the attention of the pros. in the field."

So did I - well at least I tried to keep the Entry accessible at all levels. If you really read carefully you will find many easy passages, and the most complicated stuff in the footnotes. Maybe it didn't come out as simple and digestible as planned... but I tried.

"Further more I did not include any definite numbers, because those are more likely false infos. There is no way to get correct statistics,- and I am almost sure,that your numbers are much larger, than real cases."

Well the numbers I got are certainly not false infos. I do mention that the numbers are the official count of HIV positive. The actual numbers of HIV positives are of course higher - I mention that. You seem to think it's the contrary, that my numbers are much higher then in reality. Well, I certainly disagree, and I hope you don't convey this picture in your Entry.

"Science aim is to be correct, perfectly correct, even though there is no such thing."

Science's aim is not to be perfectly correct. Science's aim is to understand what's happening. The logic in science however has to be perfectly correct so that everyone can follow. There were cases, however, where the whole logic had to be changed. A perfectly correct statement using an outdated logic will still be perfectly correct, but it will fail to describe what's happening to a more precise level of detail.... This discussion, as you see, could go on forever.

"This illness is totally obscure, and myself in 20 years heard only about one young man who died from respiratory problem as consequences of this virus."

This illness is certainly not *totally* obscure. It's perhaps totally obscure to most people. And there are still many details to be studied.

"There were some celebrities in the past publicised as victims of AIDS,- but the truth was perhaps something else."

Sounds like the AIDS-conspiracy version. Seen my 'AIDS controversy' Entry?

"The virus was around since long time. The chanses are even if there were infections, during the long period of latency the causes of death could have great variety."

I don't understand your argument. I posted originally with the intention to give you further hints as to the origin of the virus. But I don't understand the last part.... long period of latancy, many causes of death. You mean, if an HIV positive is run over by a car?

"So the medical books are perhaps clever: " The origin of the illness is not known." And that is where the story stands."

Depends on what you mean by 'origin of illness'. Do you mean the origin of AIDS, as teh illness caused by HIV, or the origin of HIV, as it perhaps mutated from the simian (=ape) virus?

Well... That was all as to the comments. I might add that there is not enough of the so-called 'awareness' (You find people using the red ribbon, but some have *no idea* what AIDS and HIV really are). Your effort to write an 'easy' piece on that topic is laudable, but be careful.

HELL

My dear HELL: it is a very enjoyable reply from you: a good one.
It is too late for me right now after a very busy day ( photographing Ice Sculptures for most of the day). I'll return in the next reply with properly attributing answers and explainations. Yeah, can go for so long until the cure and total elimination would be found! Gecko a friend of humans.