Hank: humanity will eventually eliminate polio (2026)
prediction · status: unresolved · last event: predicted (2026-08-28) · owner: Hank
In August 2026 Hank said he was fairly confident that humanity will eventually eliminate polio.
About: polio, Eradication of infectious diseases
| date | event | what | video |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-28 | predicted | Hank is fairly confident humanity will eventually eliminate polio. (hedged) | Why the Deadliest Virus Was the Easiest to Kill 00:10:20 |
What is said about it
6 statements, by date (the events above are the turns of the thread; these are the details).
- 2026-08-28 · Why the Deadliest Virus Was the Easiest to Kill — Hank finds it frustrating that people still die of preventable infectious diseases in a world that has proven an entire disease can be eradicated. — 00:00:00
- 2026-08-28 · Why the Deadliest Virus Was the Easiest to Kill — Hank says smallpox is the only human infectious disease ever entirely eradicated, though polio and guinea worm are within striking distance. — 00:00:29
- 2026-08-28 · Why the Deadliest Virus Was the Easiest to Kill — Hank says more could be done and some eradicable diseases have not been eradicated, but some diseases cannot be eradicated, since pathogens differ in how easy they are to eradicate. — 00:00:58
- 2026-08-28 · Why the Deadliest Virus Was the Easiest to Kill — Hank stresses smallpox was very difficult to eradicate and took coordinated, high-quality human effort, but it was also a somewhat ideal candidate for eradication. — 00:01:27
- 2026-08-28 · Why the Deadliest Virus Was the Easiest to Kill — Hank says eradicating TB would mean not just treating active cases but putting out fires for decades as latent infections emerge. — 00:02:55
- 2026-08-28 · Why the Deadliest Virus Was the Easiest to Kill — Hank says smallpox eradication was very hard and we should take the win; he is proud of us. — 00:08:45