Huge panics and scares that never quite happened

mike65 · 09-01-2013 02:55PM #1

Remember Bovine spongiform encephalopathy/BSE aka Mad Cow Disease and its human variation variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?

The latter was going to be the death of all meat eaters you'd have thought such was some of the hysteria 15-20 years ago with talk of hundreds of thousands to perish (the Daily Mail was carrying stories about it only 14 months back) . Typically enough scientists refuse to rule out a long term threat suggesting it could take up to 50 years for vCJD to become apparent in most of those who have eaten infected meat. People have died, about 165 of 175 diagnosed but the diagnosis rate is steady at 2 per year since 2008, I suspect most of us can sleep easily.

What other "OMG we're all gonna die" stories are out there? Avian Flu?, Chernobyl? Mobile phone transmission cancer (that's gone very quite now everyone uses them)?

GastroBoy · 09-01-2013 02:56PM

Twink posing for Playboy......*shudder*

irishgeo · 09-01-2013 02:56PM

mike65 wrote: »

Remember Bovine spongiform encephalopathy/BSE aka Mad Cow Disease and its human variation variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease?

The latter was going to be the death of all meat eaters you'd have thought such was some of the hysteria 15-20 years ago with talk of hundreds of thousands to perish (the Daily Mail was carrying stories about it only 14 months back) . Typically enough scientists refuse to rule out a long term threat suggesting it could take up to 50 years for vCJD to become apparent in most of those who have eaten infected meat. People have died, about 165 of 175 diagnosed but the diagnosis rate is steady at 2 per year since 2008, I suspect most of us can sleep easily.

What other "OMG we're all gonna die" stories are out there? Avian Flu?, Chernobyl? Mobile phone transmission cancer (that's gone very quite now everyone uses them)?

the mayans , Y2K, the next asteroid on collision course with us.

Hande hoche! · 09-01-2013 02:56PM

SARS?

keano_afc · 09-01-2013 02:57PM

Y2K.

Load of hullabuloo.

Earthhorse · 09-01-2013 02:57PM

Millenium Bug.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar · 09-01-2013 02:57PM

nothing happened at y2k because of the billion man hours of work that went into making sure nothing happened

1ZRed · 09-01-2013 02:57PM

Mayan 2012 "prophesy".

So disappointed

09-01-2013 02:58PM

Microwaves - emit radiation and give you cancer

Ciaran_B · 09-01-2013 02:59PM

Global Warming/Climate Change
Acid Rain
Hole in Ozone layer
Bird Flu

And yet we're all still here. Humanity 1 - Panic Mongers 0

mirwillbeback · 09-01-2013 02:59PM

Herpes and Chlamydia.

She was actually just a really friendly girl.

davet82 · 09-01-2013 03:01PM

smoking and unprotected sex :rolleyes:

MagicSean · 09-01-2013 03:01PM

People seem to be confusing stuff that was panic mongering with stuff that was prevented.

Duggy747 · 09-01-2013 03:02PM

In the 70's we were supposed to see a new ice age.

In the 90's it was the Ozone layer

In the 00's it was Global Warming

Now, it's Climate Change.

Next, it's Lukewarm Universe.

davet82 · 09-01-2013 03:03PM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Next, it's Lukewarm Universe.

that sounds serious, what the fcuk are we gonna do!! :eek:

BrensBenz · 09-01-2013 03:04PM

"Masturbation gives you hairy palms and makes you bli "

Duggy747 · 09-01-2013 03:04PM

davet82 wrote: »

that sounds serious, what the fcuk are we gonna do!! :eek:

Wash our clothes at 20° :pac:

The King of Moo · 09-01-2013 03:05PM

Now listen see, nobody's gonna wanna go to the pictures when they can watch a television set right in their own living room. I tell ya, by 1960 there won't be a movie theatre left in the country!

NIMAN · 09-01-2013 03:05PM

Most turn out to be anti-climatic, but they have to keep the Culture of Fear alive, don't they?

AnonoBoy · 09-01-2013 03:06PM

I've been drinking fluoridated water my hole liff and I'm styll smurter than most of those f*cking conspiracy theory nutts.

Turns out der woz nuthin' 2 wry butt........ *drools*

Dravokivich · 09-01-2013 03:06PM

davet82 wrote: »

that sounds serious, what the fcuk are we gonna do!! :eek:

Just knock a kettle on Dave and sprinkle the boiling water about.

smash · 09-01-2013 03:07PM

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

nothing happened at y2k because of the billion man hours of work that went into making sure nothing happened

And those who made billions putting in these man hours will tell you it would have been ok anyway.

jimmycrackcorm · 09-01-2013 03:07PM

GastroBoy wrote: »

Twink posing for Playboy......*shudder*

You've just made me zip up my Mickey...

StinkyMunkey · 09-01-2013 03:08PM

Video Killed the radio Star....!

El Guapo! · 09-01-2013 03:08PM

Remember we got those iodine tablets sent to us? What was that for again?!

kylith · 09-01-2013 03:09PM

The Rapture. Total let down. I'd got my good burgling outfit on and everything, and no-one was taken up into heaven.

1ZRed · 09-01-2013 03:11PM

Ciaran_B wrote: »

Global Warming/Climate Change
Acid Rain
Hole in Ozone layer
Bird Flu

And yet we're all still here. Humanity 1 - Panic Mongers 0

They are all real panics that happened and are currently happening. AFAIK bird flu is relatively under check and the hole in the ozone layer is slowly healing, but acid rain - acidification of the ocean, and climate change are massive current panics!

Superstorm Sandy was caused by more energy in the atmosphere caused by Global Warming and it's all getting worse and worse because nobody seems to be doing anything to curb Co2 levels, they're just talking about it.

The biggest mistake, and what'll most likely kill us eventually, is pretending it's not as bad as it is. I'm thinking it's too far gone as we get more hungry for resources, and so, Co2 levels keep skyrocketing - regardless of this talk of reducing emissions because it's just not going to dent the amount that's going into the atmosphere now, and in future.
People need to see it as a real and dangerous issue now and not a wind up.

/hippy rant :P