I think with the advent of antibiotics and control of many viral diseases via vector control and basic public health standards that our parents generation implemented in the first half of the 20th century, our generation, who has not really known a world without penicillin, does not have a healthy respect for microbes.

I think it should be mandatory for every science student to go to a third world country which lacks the sanitation and medication we so readily take for granted and quickly get a healthy respect for them.

Diarrhea is still a huge killer in developing countries. Diseases we think of as mere curiosities are killing. Microbes, and the genetic material within them.. are not playthings for our intellectual amusement.

Our generation is spoiled. But the microbes are evolving. One day, its going to come to a head and we are just hastening things by being careless with our forefathers discoveries...

Just had to get that off my chest :)