Hypothetical question about Human Civilization

[Bob McDob]

In the year 2001 it is discovered that cell phone usage causes brain cancer. Almost simultaniously 3 billion people, most of the First and Second World, dies.

However, the horrible epidemic spares tiny underdeveloped countries in most of Africa, South America and South Asia. These people have the almost unparalled opportunity to control the world - what would they do?

[Sea Skimmer]

These people have the almost unparalled opportunity to control the world - what would they do?

Die of AIDS over the next few decades with just about all of the worlds advanced medical industry wiped out and the disease already rampant.

[The Albino Raven]

Be subdued by the non cell-phone using white people, just like every other time in history.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

In the year 2001 it is discovered that cell phone usage causes brain cancer. Almost simultaniously 3 billion people, most of the First and Second World, dies.

However, the horrible epidemic spares tiny underdeveloped countries in most of Africa, South America and South Asia. These people have the almost unparalled opportunity to control the world - what would they do?

They don't. Africa is mostly wracked by AIDS and the warlord-of-the-week systems of government. Southeast Asia is pretty much the same way, minus the warlord-of-the-week thing. South and Central America outside the second world nations is equally useless.

[Raxmei]

You need countries too poor to have cell phones and not poor enough to be completely ineffectual.

[Pu-239]

I have rarely used cellphones except when borrowing someone else's for emergencies. I despise using any phones.

So I'm not in that 3 billion.

Then again, is that really a good thing- I mean most of civilization as I know it would be dead


*jumps off a clif*

[kojikun]

why is it that if 3bil die its an apocalypse? Back in 1950 we only had 3bil! Cmon! its nothing for 3bil to die! Civilisation wont END at all.

[Shinova]

why is it that if 3bil die its an apocalypse? Back in 1950 we only had 3bil! Cmon! its nothing for 3bil to die! Civilisation wont END at all.

But it'd be absolutely dismal for a looooong time before getting itself back together.

[Raxmei]

why is it that if 3bil die its an apocalypse? Back in 1950 we only had 3bil! Cmon! its nothing for 3bil to die! Civilisation wont END at all.

The problem is it's the top three billion getting killed. This catastrophe hits the strongest civilizations the hardest. Judging by the numbers dead, every city with cell phone service is getting wiped out. That leaves the cave people.
Remember, 3 billion is half the people in the world. That's a lot, and it's concentrated on the most heavily civilised areas.

[Tsyroc]

Mwhahahahahahaha. The first stage of my plan will have been complete. On to stage two.


Truthfully, I've never used a cell phone. Don't have one, don't plan on getting one and manage to work a shift where I don't have to carry one around like the rest of the people I work with.

When I get cancer it's going to be from something funky in Mt. Dew or in plastic soda bottles in general, or from all the freaky deaky stuff I've been exposed to in the Navy and in my current workplace (which is a hospital pharmacy) but it's not going to be from cell phone usage.

Maybe I should take to wearing a tinfoil hat so all you cell phone users can't zap my brain with your phone emissions?


By the way, think of all the nastiness after 3 billion people have died. That's 3 billion boddies just laying around decomposing. I think others will end up being taken out from some of the funk from those boddies.

[Darth Garden Gnome]

All the non-cell phone users of America/Europe/Australia re-conquer the world. Duh.

[Pablo Sanchez]

1) First world survivors move to the less devastated second-world. Eastern Europe more than makes up for its population loss.
2) With no more USA to stop them, the PRC and Russia are the foremost powers in the world. However, since China's fragile economy would have evaporated, and the rest of the world wouldn't be doing so good, nothing happens for a looong time, until the world has recovered.

In the meantime... Africa detiorates, and with no one to develope the AIDS cure, almost everyone dies. Some time in the future, the world recovers pretty much fully, but with the power center shifted to the East.

[Thirdfain]

Do soldiers spend a lot of time using cell phones? If not , maybe all our boys overseas would be jest fine.

Anyways, regardless, China comes out on top, with a huge population, decent infrastructure, and minimal cell phone usage (compared to their population.)

[neoolong]

What happens to all the infrastructure in the developed countries. Nuclear power plants and all?

[kojikun]

china would curse itself for allowing such a population control oppurtunity to go unnoticed. LOL

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

Africa slowly withers away from AIDS and no medical technology to find a cure, while China conquers the first world nations because it has a powerful military intersfracture. Cletus the Southern Baptist comes out of his bomb shelter, notices that everyone around him is dead, and announces "Hallelujah! The rapture has come!".

Edit: The few in developed nations that weren't killed by the cell phone thingy start looting because nobody's there to stop them., and the nations fall into chaos.

[consequences]

Umm, thirdfain, speaking as one of them, I'd say the majority of U.S. Soldiers have cell phones these days, certainly the higher rankning ones.