It looks like if this is extrapolated into our understanding of pain then using diatomaceous earth (DE) as non toxic pest control would imply quite some discomfort by insects as it acts mechanically as well as a desiccant. But on the other hand insects are unlikely to evolve around a mechanical opponent.
Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
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Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#102Seems like there could be a mythical story or similar here. Hero asks the gods for gift of healing. Gods grant the gift along with pain so that we know when we are injured (and of course, in need of the gift.) No gift from the gods comes free. I'll be sure to be more careful with my insect friends. And I'll be more vigilant in compassionate killing.
reminds me of the story of Melissa the Bee.
The name "Melissa" actually means "bee" in Greek.
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#103Earlier quoted context omitted.
What about every motor vehicle, horse and cart journey ever taken killing insects is that inhumane? Those have killed trillions of insects.
Probably still orders of magnitude less than the number that would be killed in insectivorous agriculture.
Did you make an account to stick up for insect rights?
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#104This makes me feel even more terrible about burning spiders to death with a magnifying glass when I was a kid.
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#105Can dead insects feel pain?
Also, who the f is flagging my every post and downwoting me to the point of shadow ban?
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#106Can dead insects feel pain? Also, who the f is flagging my every post and downwoting me to the point of shadow ban?
You’re not shadow banned on my end. HN rewards substantive comments.
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#107Earlier quoted context omitted.
It’s ridiculous. This sort of mutilation should be flat out illegal. It’s physical child abuse, plain and simple.
"I understand that this procedure will remove healthy and functioning tissue from my son's penis, and involves similar risk as other prophylactic or cosmetic surgeries, including infection, disfigurement, and death. I understand that the procedure may be performed without anaesthesia at the doctor's discretion. I understand that the doctor has recommended my son undergo circumcision because studies have shown a reduc…
> the doctor has recommended my son undergo circumcision because studies have shown a reduction in the risk for serious diseases in circumcised men
Source? Especially that this risk reduction outweighs the risks of the procedure is not proven as far as I know.
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#108It looks like if this is extrapolated into our understanding of pain then using diatomaceous earth (DE) as non toxic pest control would imply quite some discomfort by insects as it acts mechanically as well as a desiccant. But on the other hand insects are unlikely to evolve around a mechanical opponent.
Well, I think evolution has never met something it can not overcome....
I think the point of the non toxic chemical approach is more about human health, or being organic...
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#109As a kid I would rip limbs off insects one by one and watch them suffer. As an adult I carefully capture them inside and release outside. With all the insect die offs and all, little critters who stroll into my place get a 2nd chance. Unless they are mosquitoes. Those suckers get a quick death.
Re: Insects feel persistent pain after injury, evidence suggests
#110I wonder if one could make a case for having to be more humane in insect farming? Current practices include steaming and crushing insects to death. (The Economist | Grub’s up https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2019/07/06/... )
Brian Tomasik argues that we should avoid insect farming entirely since it's likely worse (ethically speaking) than farming larger nonhuman animals:
> Entomophagy (eating insects for food) is sometimes proposed as an alternative to factory farming because it has lower environmental impact. But entomophagy is not necessarily more humane than factory farming of livestock all things considered, and along some dimensions it's actually worse, because it involves killing vastly more animals per unit of protein. Rather than promoting insect consumption, let's focus on plant-based meat substitutes.
https://reducing-suffering.org/why-i-dont-support-eating-ins...