Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't see what the problem is if the for-profit companies goals align with theirs.
The thing about for profit companies is that they rarely advance the world significantly. Almost everything you enjoy in modern life was build first by public funding. The water in your tap, the electricity in your walls, the roads and bridges you drive on, hell, even the Internet was made by the army and TOR was made by the navy. What had for profit organizations really given us? I mean, they have obviously given us…
Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
261–270 of 285 posts
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#262Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you're going to weigh the social factors in wiping out the 20-something species of mosquitoes which feed on humans (out of > 3000), I think you need to factor in the possibility that malaria (and thus mosquitos) may be responsible for HALF of human deaths in our history. Half. That's an outrageous number, but Nature suggests it might be true: https://www.nature.com/news/2002/021003/full/news021001-6.ht... At what…
Half of human deaths isn't very significant considering that despite that the human population is still exploding at an unsustainable rate that will cause incredible environmental destruction if left unchecked. Far from being threatened with extinction, our present course will cause the extinction of countless other forms of life. And in response to that, you propose that we deliberately drive even more species to ex…
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Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#263What happened to the other 20%? If this is the part of the population that is resistant to the trial, then good luck in the coming years.
While 20% of the population resisted the trial, it's not really because they're immune/resistant to the trial itself. It's not a viral, chemical or bacterial effect. What they're doing is a whole lot more clever, let me quote the article:
"From November 2017 to June this year, non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes sterilised with the natural bacteria Wolbachia were released in trial zones along the Cassowary Coast in North Queensland.
They mated with local female mosquitoes, resulting in eggs that did not hatch and a significant reduction of their population."
In theory all they have to do is keep releasing these males and hopefully eventually all the female vectors will have mated with these introduced males and that's it.
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#264Earlier quoted context omitted.
Most rye bread you get would be a mix of rye flour with wheat flour, and it's mostly wheat flour.
The rye breads I make regularly contain 2/3 rye flour and 1/3 wheat flour. This is a "mixed" bread, a real rye bread would contain even less wheat flour. A pure rye bread would be more difficult to bake as it binds water differently but I think its doable. It might not be as tasty but you wouldn't starve in front of it.
Which is why I said "good bread" Sure you can make lots of other ones but without wheat it isn't as tasty.
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#265Earlier quoted context omitted.
What are the negative outcomes? Presumably we leave a niche for other mosquito or insect species to prosper in, which species will they be. Which species predate the mosquitoes we're eliminating, or how do those particular species adapt the environment and so impact the local eco-system? If we've not found any negatives then I imagine we've not tried very hard. Australia is kinda synonymous with species-wide populati…
This question comes up every time something like this makes the news, and in general the people qualified to have opinions are generally either ambivalent or believe the pros outweigh the cons. One article: https://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html
True, but the history of them being wrong is so long and rich it's rational to treat their assessments with a grain of salt. You can only hear, "This time is different, we've learned from the mistakes of the past," so many times before you incorporate it into your prior.
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#266Earlier quoted context omitted.
If only Australia's CSIRO still had enough funding to do this kind of work itself rather than 'partner with' (i.e. contribute public funding towards the private investment goals of) for-profit companies. Amongst CSIRO's earlier inventions are 1960s insect repelent 'Aerogard', polymer banknotes and major components of Wi-Fi as we know it.
I don't see what the problem is if the for-profit companies goals align with theirs.
>I don't see what the problem is if the for-profit companies goals align with theirs.
It socializes the risk while privatizing the gains.
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#267What happened to the other 20%? If this is the part of the population that is resistant to the trial, then good luck in the coming years.
While 20% of the population resisted the trial, it's not really because they're immune/resistant to the trial itself. It's not a viral, chemical or bacterial effect. What they're doing is a whole lot more clever, let me quote the article: "From November 2017 to June this year, non-biting male Aedes aegypti mosquitoes sterilised with the natural bacteria Wolbachia were released in trial zones along the Cassowary Coast…
Interesting. Do you know how and why the 20% resisted?
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#268Earlier quoted context omitted.
As I've stated throughout this threat, it isn't just about mosquitoes. Honestly I would not mourn mosquitoes if every last species was exterminated. What concerns me is the social impact of further establishing humanity as the arbitrators of which species get to live and which deserve to be exterminated. It won't stop at mosquitoes; the extermination of mosquitoes will be used to justify even more exterminations in t…
It doesn't necessarily follow that preventing death would cause an increase in population. A high mortality rate is corelated with a high fertility rate so that population grows nevertheless. In fact, it is when the mortality rate is the lowest that the spread between mortality and fertility rate is the lowest, resulting in the smallest population growth.
Waiting for economic factors to suppress the birth rate is the milquetoast approach I described earlier in this thread that is causing incredible environmental destruction. It's nothing more than an excuse to turn a blind eye to the problem.
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#269Earlier quoted context omitted.
Half of human deaths isn't very significant considering that despite that the human population is still exploding at an unsustainable rate that will cause incredible environmental destruction if left unchecked. Far from being threatened with extinction, our present course will cause the extinction of countless other forms of life. And in response to that, you propose that we deliberately drive even more species to ex…
It's rare to see someone state so plainly that they just don't care about human life. It makes it clear that I have no common ground for this kind of discussion with that person.
Humanity is important but humanity is not currently being threatened. If humanity were actually being threatened I would support the eradication of any species threatening it.
Re: Trial wipes out over 80% of Australian disease-spreading mosquito
#270Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's rare to see someone state so plainly that they just don't care about human life. It makes it clear that I have no common ground for this kind of discussion with that person.
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> "he advocates mass extinction of human beings"
Far from it, this is not even remotely a possibility. Mosquitoes are not threatening humanity with extinction in any conceivable way. As I stated elsewhere in this thread yesterday, if humanity were actually threatened by mosquitoes, I would support their eradication.