Journal Entry for Stephen Jay Gould’s “The Terrifying Normalcy of AIDS”

Stephen Jay Gould, “The terrifying Normalcy of AIDS” Recapping: The author first starts out the essay by explaining how with today’s modern technology there really is not limit to what can be accomplished. Then the author goes on and relates and the AIDS pandemic may rank with a nuclear weapon as the greatest danger of our era. Stephen Jay Gould continues on and talks about John Platt and how he recognized that the limited data on the origin of AIDS and its spread in America suggested a more frightening prospect. Platt also noticed that data for the initial spread of AIDS fell right of an exponential curve. Stephen then continues on and how AIDS is still going to continue to spread past its origin of Africa. Then the author links how today modern technology has no limits is wrong because there is no cure and we might not find a cure until the end of the millennium because of our technology. The author suggest that AIDS is a natural phenomenon in order to fight properly and AIDS is part of nature and it going to take a lot a work to win the battle of AIDS.

Connecting: I can connect with this essay by Stephen Jay Gould. Stephen talks about the spread of AIDS and how it is becoming a problem. In my health class we learn about aids and how the spread of aids is a major problem because it’s rapidly growing and there is no cure.

Pondering: Some questions I have for the author is what made him so interested in AIDS and not other major epidemics? Also, how did the author come upon this topic? When did he become interested in AIDS (High School, College)? Will the author follow up and write another essay about AIDS? Word Count: 50

Appreciating: One part I appreciate is when the author mentions John Platt and how he notice that data for the initial spread of AIDS fell right on an exponential curve. If anyone know anything about an exponential curve is that the number increases dramatically over a set amount of time. It kind of put it in reality that this was 1985 was he found this, over 25 years ago, think how many people have it now.