--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the epidemic continues its…" description: "\"“If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth.” —The Army Surgeon Ge..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/jacqueline-druga-55006_epidemic_if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematic_10095.jpg" --- # If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of… ![“If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth.” —The Army Surgeon General, 1918” quote by Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/jacqueline-druga-55006_epidemic_if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematic_10095.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/jacqueline-druga-55006_epidemic_if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematic_10095.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/jacqueline-druga-55006_epidemic_if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematic_10095.jpg) > ““If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth.” —The Army Surgeon General, 1918”” [Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Unchecked exponential growth can overwhelm societies, leading to collapse. **In simple terms:** Exponential threats risk civilization. Key Takeaway Accelerating crises demand urgent action. Themes risk growth civilization pandemic exponential Mood urgent foreboding Type warning prediction When to use this quote - pandemic response planning - climate change mitigation - financial market bubbles Key Concepts mathematical modeling public health societal resilience Practical Applications - scenario forecasting - policy urgency communication Questions to Reflect On - What early signs indicate exponential danger? - How can societies build buffers against rapid change? A Different Perspective null ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Epidemic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemic/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [The reality is that the AIDS epidemic continues to outstrip the global and national efforts to contain it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-piot/the-reality-is-that-the-aids-epidemic-continues-to-outstrip-the/) [Peter Piot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-piot/) > [Civilization itself . . . can easily be swept aside when mob passions are aroused.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-allen/civilization-itself-can-easily-be-swept-aside-when-mob-passions-are/) [Steve Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-allen/) > [The overarching issue, really, is our surgeon general should be able to communicate transparently and honestly with the American public on all issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carmona/the-overarching-issue-really-is-our-surgeon-general-should-be-able-to/) [Richard Carmona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carmona/) > [Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head, John Conyers, says he doesn't understand it. It'll be passed by Congress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/obama-s-health-care-plan-will-be-written-by-a-committee-whose-head/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [All reviews should carry a Surgeon General's warning. The good ones turn your head, the bad ones break your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ives/all-reviews-should-carry-a-surgeon-general-s-warning-the-good-ones/) [David Ives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ives/) > [When I began my tenure as surgeon general, I did not intend to focus on emotional well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/when-i-began-my-tenure-as-surgeon-general-i-did-not-intend-to-focus/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [When the surgeon general Joycelyn Elders said that drugs should be legalized, I saw somebody else who felt what I feel. But she got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/snoop-dogg/when-the-surgeon-general-joycelyn-elders-said-that-drugs-should-be/) [Snoop Dogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/snoop-dogg/) > [As 17th U.S. Surgeon General, I was privileged to serve as the nation's doctor. I focused much of my time on promoting proven programs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carmona/as-17th-u-s-surgeon-general-i-was-privileged-to-serve-as-the-nation-s/) [Richard Carmona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carmona/) > [Reports to the Surgeon General represent the final word upon the efficient and devoted sense of responsibility of our people in this obligation to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/reports-to-the-surgeon-general-represent-the-final-word-upon-the/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) > [A lot of people have misconceptions about what the surgeon general does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/a-lot-of-people-have-misconceptions-about-what-the-surgeon-general/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [“The curve of her smile promised things that were probably illegal, and bad for you, and would carry warnings from the Surgeon General, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-butcher/the-curve-of-her-smile-promised-things-that-were-probably-illegal-and/) [Jim Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-butcher/) > [I do not intend to use the Surgeon General's Office as a bully pulpit for gun control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/i-do-not-intend-to-use-the-surgeon-general-s-office-as-a-bully-pulpit/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) > [In honor of Surgeon General Koop's legacy, we should ensure that the position of surgeon general is protected from political interference, funded appropriately and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-carmona/in-honor-of-surgeon-general-koop-s-legacy-we-should-ensure-that-the/) [Richard Carmona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-carmona/) > [Well, we're just a couple of weeks from new President Barack Obama being sworn in. And he's been very busy naming a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-letterman/well-we-re-just-a-couple-of-weeks-from-new-president-barack-obama/) [David Letterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-letterman/) > [When I was Surgeon General, I spent a lot of time talking to people in living rooms and town halls all across the country,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vivek-murthy/when-i-was-surgeon-general-i-spent-a-lot-of-time-talking-to-people-in/) [Vivek Murthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vivek-murthy/) ## More by Jacqueline Druga > [“WALLS OF JERICHO... TUMBLE Either a very short instance or an entire lifetime I knew you. You touched me. Moved me. Without your presence,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/walls-of-jericho-tumble-either-a-very-short-instance-or-an-entire/) [Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) > [“Most people don’t realize that the breast can indicate one’s nationality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/most-people-don-t-realize-that-the-breast-can-indicate-one-s/) [Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) > [“On average, every year, thirty-five people in the United States die of the plague; close to two thousand worldwide. But those are hardly frightening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/on-average-every-year-thirty-five-people-in-the-united-states-die-of/) [Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) > [“Ross had a small ax and nearly a fully clip in his revolver”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/ross-had-a-small-ax-and-nearly-a-fully-clip-in-his-revolver/) [Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) > [“first outbreak in the States, the human race could have easily faced extinction. In 1918 the feat of traveling from Kansas to Moscow in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/first-outbreak-in-the-states-the-human-race-could-have-easily-faced/) [Jacqueline Druga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) [Explore all 6 Jacqueline Druga quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/) ## More Epidemic quotes > [Although it is still important to develop an HIV vaccine, we have significant tools already at our disposal that can make a major impact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/although-it-is-still-important-to-develop-an-hiv-vaccine-we-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The infant mortality rates are insanely high. The obesity epidemic is on the rise. It is all related.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-williams-paisley/the-infant-mortality-rates-are-insanely-high-the-obesity-epidemic-is/) [Kimberly Williams-Paisley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-williams-paisley/) > [War is the most devastating endemic and epidemic disease the human race has to endure, and yet too little has been done to discover…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/war-is-the-most-devastating-endemic-and-epidemic-disease-the-human/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [Violence in our society has reached epidemic proportions. ... Violence in the media for entertainment purposes has been established as a major contributing factor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-prothrow-stith/violence-in-our-society-has-reached-epidemic-proportions-violence-in/) Deborah Prothrow-Stith > [I started to write about science and medicine at the 'Washington Post,' in the early days of the AIDS epidemic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-specter/i-started-to-write-about-science-and-medicine-at-the-washington-post/) [Michael Specter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-specter/) > [ We're all going to go crazy, living this epidemic \[AIDS\] every minute, while the rest of the world goes on out there, all around… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-kramer/we-re-all-going-to-go-crazy-living-this-epidemic-aids-every-minute/) [Larry Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-kramer/) > [Now they're calling taking drugs an epidemic - that's cos white folks are doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-pryor/now-they-re-calling-taking-drugs-an-epidemic-that-s-cos-white-folks/) [Richard Pryor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-pryor/) > [We are not for disarming people. When you have an epidemic it's a public health issue, a safety issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-brady/we-are-not-for-disarming-people-when-you-have-an-epidemic-it-s-a/) [Sarah Brady](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-brady/) > [“An epidemic worse than any plague that humankind has ever seen has been raging for centuries. It is the “don’t want” epidemic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhonda-byrne/an-epidemic-worse-than-any-plague-that-humankind-has-ever-seen-has/) [Rhonda Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhonda-byrne/) > [One of my worries about America is the epidemic of depression we've been in. One of the possibilities about that is that the 'I'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/one-of-my-worries-about-america-is-the-epidemic-of-depression-we-ve/) [Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/) > [Bullying is a national epidemic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/macklemore/bullying-is-a-national-epidemic/) [Macklemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/macklemore/) > [As I approached my 95th birthday, I was burdened to write a book that addressed the epidemic of 'easy believism.' There is a mindset…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/as-i-approached-my-95th-birthday-i-was-burdened-to-write-a-book-that/) [Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/) > [As megacities like Mexico City and Lagos become increasingly common, we could see a rise of the urban epidemic and a new era of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-berkley/as-megacities-like-mexico-city-and-lagos-become-increasingly-common/) [Seth Berkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-berkley/) > [Ebola has shown that the world is not ready to deal with an epidemic on this scale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alpha-conde/ebola-has-shown-that-the-world-is-not-ready-to-deal-with-an-epidemic/) Alpha Conde > [When I was diagnosed I didn't know how epidemic cancer was. You find out that everybody you know is touched by this disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ziskin/when-i-was-diagnosed-i-didn-t-know-how-epidemic-cancer-was-you-find/) [Laura Ziskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ziskin/) [Browse all 133 Epidemic quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/epidemic/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from the face of the earth.” —The Army Surgeon General, 1918”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jacqueline Druga" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematical-rate-of-acceleration/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Epidemic" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematical-rate-of-acceleration/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/jacqueline-druga-55006_epidemic_if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematic_10095.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/jacqueline-druga-55006_epidemic_if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematic_10095.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/253/jacqueline-druga-55006_epidemic_if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematic_10095.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If the epidemic continues its mathematical rate of acceleration, civilization could easily disappear from…” — Jacqueline Druga", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jacqueline Druga", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-druga/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“If the epidemic continues its mathematical...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematical-rate-of-acceleration/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-druga/if-the-epidemic-continues-its-mathematical-rate-of-acceleration/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```