Live data from Hacker News

Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

journals.plos.org

431–440 of 495 posts

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What I mean is that book length content has paragraphs longer than single not spaced comments. Thus it is very odd that readers have issues with one but not with the other. Moreover making it too simple to parse comments and social network posts, creates users that struggle to read more complex content: as a society we don't want that.

> making it too simple to parse comments and social network posts, creates users that struggle to read more complex content That's a very strange argument - would you apply it to coding too? Perhaps remove comments so people are forced to interpret the code alone.

In this case it's like if there were centuries of already written code with huge value, all written without comments. You don't want to limit the ability of programmers to read it. However things are very different in their dynamics: reading text without well separated paragraphs is mostly a matter of habit: a simple skill to achieve, so discouraging this ability has very little return. Lack of comments make reading code a lot harder in certain cases, especially since many informations in the comments are non local.

Also I'm not against proper formatting of posts. Just if it's not separated in paragraphs readers should so the small effort of doing it mentally, instead of complaining. Similarly I'm not against code comments (but strongly in favour).

Btw I replied for the sake of argumenting but the two things are not comparable. Just so this test: splitting text written by others in paragraphs is a very easy task you can do just reading the text one time. Commiting code you don't yet understand is impossible: many informations you should write are not implicitly in the code. It's the contrary actually: most good comments are about things that are not evident.

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#432
post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does this invalidate the point? The people who are using their brain to override their disgust system are probably doing something that's extremely maladaptive.

It invalidates it because you're saying disgust is evolutionary. The response is saying it's largely cultural, thus something that triggers disgust is not going against some "evolutionary truth" but is rather just another learned behavior.

If it's purely cultural and has no connection to reality then it should have "evolevd out" of us. But it hasn't. Being influenced by culture is part of how the system works. The reason you learn disgust is you can't afford to learn by trial and error so you outsource to society.

Now if you think you're a smart ass and decide to "override" the cultural "indoctrination" that makes you find insects disgusting, what do you think is the likelihood that you are the one who is right?

In all likelihood you will find out after some time that you made a huge irreversible mistake.

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#433
post #261

The importance of this subject is underestimated and applies as well quite independently of whether humans eat the insects directly or not. Consider the cuban tree frog for example, which has long since initiated its campaign in Florida to host and spread throughout the food chain the rat lungworm nematode. Rat lungworm (angiostrongylus) holds its own in the burgeoning presence of hideous and hostile parasites. It is…

Just as note: Baylisascaris procyonis can stunt grow and brain development in children and is related in part with the "redneck stereotype".

From my reading, a child would be fortunate to only suffer stunted growth. One reason for higher/longer survival rates in adults is the greater volume of the skull tolerating more pressure from the worms and reaction they cause. In children, the inner-cranial pressure is more deadly.

I've never encountered any references to rednecks and baylis, but I've met some that, in hindsight, might clarify and reinforce your note.

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#434

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No offence, but I would rather suggest improving your reading skills. Books don't have newlines or spacing, mostly: do you have issues reading a novel as well? That would be a major problem. But I bet you don't have any issues reading books, because this demand of spacing is a lot stronger among US readers and I bet is mostly cultural rather than a real issue.

Books have paragraphs, which are newlines and indentations, specifically to help people read in the face of what would otherwise be a wall of text. Being able to read large chunks of text with minimal or no formatting is useful, but so is knowing how to format the text you produce so it's easier for people to consume. We should all strive to be capable of both.

[deleted]

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#435
post #329

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sorry to be direct, I know your post has a ton of interesting knowledge, but it was impossible to read. Have you considered using newlines or breaks? You probably have amazing ideas and more people would read them if it was easier to read (my 2c)

This is very important advice. You will see a noticeable uptick in engagement with your comments on this website if you add newlines for emphasis, clarity, and readability. You don't necessarily need to put them between every sentence. There is a bit of finesse involved. That being said, the comment is so excellent and information dense that it largely escapes this potential pitfall.

[deleted]

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#436

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just picked a book at random: Moby Dick , by Herman Melville. First thing that popped into my head. Scanning through the first chapter (thanks to Project Gutenberg) I easily found a paragraph that looks larger than the discussed comment, starting with "Lord save me, thinks I". Indeed has 520 words, which is almost twice the comment's 277. I'm with Antirez here: dumb Americans who can't read and all that. Though any…

> I just picked a book at random: Moby Dick, by Herman Melville. I think that's a poor example - Moby Dick isn't exactly praised for ease of casual reading (and internet comments should definitely fall in the category of casual reading. Relative ease is a choice, and the parent comment was just suggesting that the other comment would find wider reach if it were easier to parse) > I'm with Antirez here: dumb Americans…

I seem to have no trouble finding big paragraphs. Opening one from "Fall of the House of Usher" by E. A. Poe. 389 words.

DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of the melancholy House of Usher. I know not how it was—but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit. I say insufferable; for the feeling was unrelieved by any of that half-pleasurable, because poetic, sentiment, with which the mind usually receives even the sternest natural images of the desolate or terrible. I looked upon the scene before me—upon the mere house, and the simple landscape features of the domain—upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of decayed trees—with an utter depression of soul which I can compare to no earthly sensation more properly than to the after-dream of the reveller upon opium—the bitter lapse into every-day life—the hideous dropping off of the veil. There was an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart—an unredeemed dreariness of thought which no goading of the imagination could torture into aught of the sublime. What was it—I paused to think—what was it that so unnerved me in the contemplation of the House of Usher? It was a mystery all insoluble; nor could I grapple with the shadowy fancies that crowded upon me as I pondered. I was forced to fall back upon the unsatisfactory conclusion, that while, beyond doubt, there are combinations of very simple natural objects which have the power of thus affecting us, still the analysis of this power lies among considerations beyond our depth. It was possible, I reflected, that a mere different arrangement of the particulars of the scene, of the details of the picture, would be sufficient to modify, or perhaps to annihilate its capacity for sorrowful impression; and, acting upon this idea, I reined my horse to the precipitous brink of a black and lurid tarn that lay in unruffled lustre by the dwelling, and gazed down—but with a shudder even more thrilling than before—upon the remodelled and inverted images of the gray sedge, and the ghastly tree-stems, and the vacant and eye-like windows.

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#437

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I just picked a book at random: Moby Dick, by Herman Melville. I think that's a poor example - Moby Dick isn't exactly praised for ease of casual reading (and internet comments should definitely fall in the category of casual reading. Relative ease is a choice, and the parent comment was just suggesting that the other comment would find wider reach if it were easier to parse) > I'm with Antirez here: dumb Americans…

I seem to have no trouble finding big paragraphs. Opening one from "Fall of the House of Usher" by E. A. Poe. 389 words. DURING the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year, when the clouds hung oppressively low in the heavens, I had been passing alone, on horseback, through a singularly dreary tract of country, and at length found myself, as the shades of the evening drew on, within view of…

[deleted]

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#438
post #130
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I assume in the Western part of the world, you haven't been eating insects in normal times, but it's not the case in other regions. In my country for instance, people eat termites, crickets, caterpillars/larvae of rynchophorus, Augosoma centurus among others. They are a considerable source of nutriments such as proteins and lipids.

I assume that you are talking about a third world country. Will people keep eating bugs once they become wealthy enough?

Absolutely, I'm convinced people will keep on eating insects as wealth increases.

It's not out of constrain that people have them in their diet, but it's part of their culinary culture.

Of course, as people get wealthier, new habits form, they are able to afford previously unattainable food, and surely they're will a shift in the diet, but eating insects will not be eliminated.

Re: Edible insects role in transmission of parasitic diseases to humans (2019)

#439
post #390
post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, reading this is intimidating. Can you ELI5 what risk these pose to humans or species in close proximity to us?

>ELI5 Hmm. That would come with the more frightening risk of HN community scrutiny, a sort of indelible scabies of the retrospective consciousness. What the hell.. If you're 5, or any age with a palate for insects, especially centipedes [1], cook them first or consider sugar free gummy worms until mom can prepare them properly. More seriously, it depends largely on behavior, ie personal hygiene, industrial standards,…

Thanks so much for the excellent comments. You seem familiar with the topic, so a question: How do you convince a doctor to actually check for parasites?

Two years ago I was bitten by many, many triatomines in a subtropical environment and have recently been seeing symptoms similar to chagas disease, but no doctor I've spoken to is interested in testing for it. I understand it's not an everyday concern, buy the resistance to even try surprises me.

Post reply on HN