Something to celebrate

Evidently humans have scored another victory against nature. The rinderpest virus, which has killed millions of cattle, has been elimated according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). According to the BBC report on the subject:

“The eradication of the virus has been described as the biggest achievement in veterinary history and one which will save the lives and livelihoods of millions of the poorest people in the world.”

It is the second viral disease to be eliminated after  smallpox. The smallpox virus, which killed millions of people a year, was declared eradicated in 1979.

The domination of nature is a central part of human progress. It was first proposed by Francis Bacon (1561–1626),  a British scientist and politician, but the idea went out of fashion in the 1970s.

Conquering nature means shaping it to benefit humanity rather than its destruction.  But there are some parts of nature, such as deadly viruses, which it benefits humanity to destroy.