JEFF:
Now what kind of a filter could we possibly use to get rid of those viruses that can come in our water?

CLAYTON:
No filter is 100%, but a very age-old method is best, and that is to boil your water - 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Unless you're getting infected by one of these bacteria that lives in the thermal pots down in Yellowstone, it'll be dead.

JEFF:
But to boil all the water, which would cost… what kind of money for all that energy, compared to what they're doing now.

CLAYTON:
It would cost a lot. But in the long run, if everybody becomes ill, then you have to deal with all these ill people, particularly if it's something like brucellosis, which doesn't kill its victim, but just makes them miserable for forty or fifty years. The cost then of the immediate treatment suddenly becomes much less, if you factor it out over a long period of time.

Or, what's an alternative? If you're really going to be energy conscious and you don't want to boil it, what else could you do?

JEFF:
Don't drink it. Find an alternate water source.

ARIA:
Could you use solar power on it?

CLAYTON:
Yes, certainly you could use solar power to heat your water. A very good idea. You could use solar power and, at least, heat it enough to kill most of the bacteria.

But the alternative I was thinking of - I'm being a little bit flaky on it, but I think it's very real... If you accept the fact that humans arose about 40,000 years ago, how did we ever make it this long with all these little nasties out there?

JEFF:
Adaptation.

CLAYTON:
Adaptation. So you could kind of use a natural vaccine approach. Try not to be stupid and have really filthy water, but go ahead and drink the water and allow your beautifully designed immune system to develop an immunity to the bacteria. That's a pretty energy efficient approach, okay? Are we allowing ourselves to do that today?

EVERYONE:
No.

CLAYTON:
I'll give you one final, little example to think about. I'm not making a value judgment, let's just look at the simple fact of it. Both parents work; they have two small children, okay? They leave them at the daycare. You've got all these little kids together, and pretty soon Johnny and Sally each have the sniffles. The best way to help them get over the cold is to do what?

ARIA:
Let them get over it.

CLAYTON:
Right. And stay home for a couple days. Give them some aspirin or Tylenol, keep their liquid intake up, and keep them warm. Then their systems will build up a certain level of immunity for that particular virus.

But that means that one parent has to stay home. Bills are pretty high. We've got to make those payments, okay? So you take Johnny and Sally to the doctor, and you say, "They've got a sniffle." The doctor says, "No problem" and whacks them with Ampicillin. Now they're over their colds in a day and the parents can go back to work and everything's okay, except what have they done to the children? Their immune systems are now completely compromised. And just think how often we do that.

When I grew up, we had the three-day measles. That was just a fact of life. You know, you had to have Chamomile lotion smeared all over you, and you were crusty for a day or two, so you couldn't itch. And mom and dad kept the curtains closed, so you wouldn't go blind, because your retinas were so sensitive, but you were over it, and you went back to school. How many of you guys have had the three-day measles?

[Everyone shakes their heads NO.]

You haven't because you've had your MMR vaccination.

IVY:
You know, I actually remember giving that to my kids, and asking the doctor, why I should vaccinate against this? Isn't it okay if they get it? It's not going to kill them. And the answer was, "Oh, but then they get pock marks on their skin forever," which is true, I have some from that, you know. But I thought… I mean, that's it? There's no other reason then it's just uncomfortable? I'd rather they had it. And were safer the rest of their lives.