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Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

scientificamerican.com

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Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#91

Post by Verdex »

lukan wrote: post #65
WalterBright wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So creating cheap, reusable giant rockets is standing in the way of human progress? Being able to use neural links to restore sight to the blind is standing in the way?

There was another group of people famous for building innovative rockets, but are otherwise not associated with human progress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb So it is about the big picture. (And about small pictures like that of Elon making a salut like the other group). So yes, currently his rockets do not transport explosives. But that can change anytime and I expect it will very soon.

Elon rockets are only interesting because they can be reused.

What use is a reusable rocket with respect to explosives?

Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#93

Post by jfengel »

epistasis wrote: post #42
jfengel wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And it comes at a time when a disease we were working on eliminating, measles, has come back and the US is about to lose its measles-free status. It sounds as if his legacy is to be unique, a feat never to be accomplished again.

Perhaps I'm overly an optimist, but I have a feeling we will develop the informational and psychological technology to combat the destructive misinformation campaigns that brainwash people into harming their children with anti-vaccine beliefs. We are not there yet, because the destructive media forces are too new and we haven't developed defenses against information diseases like RFK Jr. But we will get there. Two st…

I admire your optimism. I genuinely wish I could share it. I hope that you are right.

Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#94

Post by nathan_compton »

tjpnz wrote: post #74
epistasis wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps I'm overly an optimist, but I have a feeling we will develop the informational and psychological technology to combat the destructive misinformation campaigns that brainwash people into harming their children with anti-vaccine beliefs. We are not there yet, because the destructive media forces are too new and we haven't developed defenses against information diseases like RFK Jr. But we will get there. Two st…

As a non-American I don't care what you do, if you want to behave like irresponsible idiots without any regard for the lives of others you have that right. Just don't subject vulnerable individuals in other countries to your own bad choices (you can get the MMR vaccine as an adult if your parents were neglectful). Maybe visitors from the United States should have to present vaccine certificates at airports or be quar…

> you can get the MMR vaccine as an adult if your parents were neglectful

if you are still alive.

Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#96

Post by throw20251220 »

3eb7988a1663 wrote: post #43
quesera wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We still have another chance for eradication in humans with Polio.

Not if the CIA has anything to say about it: CIA fake vaccination campaign in Pakistan[0] ...The program was ultimately unsuccessful in locating Osama bin Laden. It led to the arrest of a participating physician, Shakil Afridi, and was widely ridiculed as undermining public health.[2][3] The program is credited with increasing vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan[4][5][6][7] and a rise in violence against healthcare workers…

> The program is credited with increasing vaccine hesitancy in …

Sounds like RFK Jr…

Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#97

Post by throw20251220 »

goku12 wrote: post #72
belorn wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Given the period of 2010-2012, the president at the time was Barack Obama. It does not seem realistic that people would accept opening a criminal case.

Why does it matter if it was Obama or Bush in power? Sure, their politics influence the nation's foreign policies. But domestic partisan politics is largely irrelevant to the international partners. To the foreign nationals affected by it, you're just USA either way. I mentioned just the other day, the problem with anti-intellectualism in the US and how it's fed by these sorts of egregious meddling by the administrat…

> Why does it matter if it was Obama or Bush in power?

How can you open a war crime case against a guy who already got a Peace Nobel Prize? And what war crime? Was there a war? Maybe some special military operation against Bin Laden.

Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#98

Post by sigwinch »

belorn wrote: post #66
ccppurcell wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This should be a war crime...

Given the period of 2010-2012, the president at the time was Barack Obama. It does not seem realistic that people would accept opening a criminal case.

Are you kidding? A way to smear Obama and portray him as disrespectful to non-whites? The only reason it’s not on Fox is that it reminds Americans that we’ve only had one victory in the War on Terror and the Republican Party contributed nothing positive.

Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#99

Post by lukan »

Verdex wrote: post #91
lukan wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was another group of people famous for building innovative rockets, but are otherwise not associated with human progress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb So it is about the big picture. (And about small pictures like that of Elon making a salut like the other group). So yes, currently his rockets do not transport explosives. But that can change anytime and I expect it will very soon.

Elon rockets are only interesting because they can be reused. What use is a reusable rocket with respect to explosives?

They can bring explosives to space, loitering space ammunition.

Re: Scientist who helped eradicate smallpox dies at age 89

#100

Post by Spooky23 »

Verdex wrote: post #91
lukan wrote: post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was another group of people famous for building innovative rockets, but are otherwise not associated with human progress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb So it is about the big picture. (And about small pictures like that of Elon making a salut like the other group). So yes, currently his rockets do not transport explosives. But that can change anytime and I expect it will very soon.

Elon rockets are only interesting because they can be reused. What use is a reusable rocket with respect to explosives?

Pretty easy. The only limits are your imagination and depravity. You launch the rocket, drop an orbital vehicle behind, and land. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

That vehicle could deorbit and drop a tungsten penetrator, smallpox, a nuclear device or any number of things.

All funded by a combination of government spending and defrauding the public via the Tesla Ponzi scheme.

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