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Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

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Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#261

Post by etiam »

jasonwatkinspdx wrote: post #225
James001 wrote: post #191

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main problem is how do we actually eradicate mosquito's without introducing other severely risks? For example, one of the popular techniques is releasing genetically modified mosquitoes that are sterile. The problem is we don't know what could happen if/when these modified genes spread into the wider environment It's a very serious concern, whether or not eradicating mosquitoes will introduce more severe problems

How would sterile mosquitoes transfer genetic material?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horizontal_gene_transfer

Pickup by virus or other microorganism. Transposons.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#262

Post by ant6n »

acdha wrote: post #241
ant6n wrote: post #83

Whatever happened to those mosquito laser zappers? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKm8FolQ7jw

According to an acquaintance who worked there, the original research was funded by the Gates Foundation’s anti-malaria R&D program. Intellectual Ventures developed the prototype Photonic Fence ( http://www.intellectualventures.com/inventions-patents/our-i... ) but concluded that low-tech things like bed nets had higher benefit per dollar for malaria prevention, particularly when you factor in the challenge of powerin…

Definitely agree with the idea that it should be sold in the first world to get economies of scale. How much would these things cost, like 300$ a pop?

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#263

Post by funkyy »

bduerst wrote: post #255
speleding wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are places where mosquitos are an invasive species. Hawaii apparently did not have mosquitos until they were introduced there by humans. So that might be a good place to experiment with eradicating them, the "it's not natural" argument would carry less weight there.

Precisely. To be clear, eradication of invasive mosquito species where they aren't native is a great idea. Thinking that removing mosquitoes from the ecosystems everywhere won't have a negative impact on the environment is less so.

There will be obviously an impact. Question is how big.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#264

Post by ArtDev »

TheCondor wrote: post #70
Turing_Machine wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even more on point: Which is likely to cause more ecological damgage: 1) Wipe out two (of over 3,500) species of mosquito 2) Spray poisons indiscriminately, wiping out many different species of insect, both mosquitos and non-mosquitos?

Don't things eat mosquitos? Do any of those things matter?

With mosquitos extinct (good riddance) other insects would take their niche.

Their impact as a food source would be negligible.

Before they were introduced by sailing ships, its not like the bug-eating animals did not have enough bugs to eat.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#266

Post by MattGrommes »

jdcarter wrote: post #229
hellbanner wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for bringing this up. Since no one's brought this up already, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_laser

Wow, that's crazy, a laser/computer combo mounted on fence posts, which is able to determine the type and gender of insect, and only shoot the right kind of disease-carrying mosquitos. "the Photonic Fence can kill up to 50 to 100 mosquitoes a second, at a maximum range of 100 ft." Also interesting, I thought Intellectual Ventures was only a patent troll, I didn't know they did actual research work as well.

It might be uncharitable to say but it's always been my opinion that their lab and token inventions are cover for their patent trolling activities. Actual inventions from their people are few and far between.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#267

Post by matis140 »

jdcarter wrote: post #229
hellbanner wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for bringing this up. Since no one's brought this up already, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_laser

Wow, that's crazy, a laser/computer combo mounted on fence posts, which is able to determine the type and gender of insect, and only shoot the right kind of disease-carrying mosquitos. "the Photonic Fence can kill up to 50 to 100 mosquitoes a second, at a maximum range of 100 ft." Also interesting, I thought Intellectual Ventures was only a patent troll, I didn't know they did actual research work as well.

as a side note i remember reading something about some patent trolls using money from suits to actually drive development of promising patents. i do not remember if this was optimism about their true intent or full bs...now i will have to go hunt that down.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#268

Post by XFrequentist »

bduerst wrote: post #234
XFrequentist wrote: post #228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aedes mosquitoes are indeed "invasive" in much (arguably, most) of the world.

Yes and eliminating two specific Aedes species from where they are invasive is by far the best plan of action. Claiming that mass extinction of all mosquitoes from the ecosystem is a bullet the environment can take is another matter.

Agree completely with your first point.

To your second point: eliminating all blood-feeding mosquitoes is the most radical proposal I've ever encountered, and this is a small subset of all mosquitoes (itself a small subset of Culicidae). I've never seen it compellingly demonstrated that these mosquitoes have an irreplacable role in any ecosystem, but there's much we don't grasp that an incremental and cautious approach seems wise.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#269

Post by tim333 »

maaku wrote: post #98
alwaysdoit wrote: post #38

We've done this lots[1] of[2] times[3] when it threatens agriculture, but when it threatens the lives of poor people in third world countries, suddenly we're worried about the ecosystem? There will be an environmental impact, but it will be from hundreds of millions of humans not getting malaria and climbing their way out of property, not from the lack of mosquitoes in the ecosystem. It's still a significant problem,…

Those eradications were paid for by the Department of Agriculture (and equivalent organizations in other regions). Who is going to pay for the mosquito? I'm not objecting. I think we should eradicate the mosquito. But as someone who has worked for the government (albeit a different branch) I know that bureaucrats are not being evil or heartless when they don't allocate funds for necessary work that falls outside of t…

YC W17? I mean if they can try fusion who knows.
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