Six Extinctions in Six Minutes

beaglelady · February 17, 2016, 2:06am

This is episode 12 from Shelf Life, a video series from the American Museum of Natural History, that takes you behind the scenes of the great museum. The museum has vast collections, many research scientists, and even has a graduate school.

Learn about the history of the great mass extinctions on earth. And note that in the case of the human guinea worm parasite, they are trying to drive it to extinction. Thanks to Jimmy Carter’s Carter Center they just might succeed. If it can be eradicated, it will be only the 2nd disease we have wiped from the face of the earth.

Sy_Garte · February 17, 2016, 9:10pm

Nice video. Which was the first disease wiped off the Earth?

beaglelady · February 17, 2016, 9:34pm

Hi Sy.

Smallpox was the first disease that was wiped off the face of the earth, although a bit of the virus is kept in lab samples. Had it not been completely eliminated, I’m sure the anti-vax folks would be bringing it back!

system · February 24, 2016, 3:34am

This topic was automatically closed 6 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.