Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

Post by lxmorj » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:02 AM UTC

matis140 wrote: post #267

jdcarter wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

Post by saalweachter » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:11 AM UTC

imakesnowflakes wrote: post #163

slapshot wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> what if the disease that are currently only spread via mosquitoes mutate/evolve themselves to be airborne? Evolution doesn't have an intent. Diseases can't "evolve themselves." Evolution happens through random mutations* and selection of the fittest. If a mutation makes a virus or bacteria or protozoan more likely to survive, then the descendants of the mutant tend to multiply more and become more common. If the mu…

>Evolution doesn't have an intent. Diseases can't "evolve themselves." I know. But when you remove mosquitoes from the picture, aren't you putting selection pressure on the diseases to be airborne? >Evolution happens through random mutations* and selection of the fittest... Yes. Say a virus of a disease x that normally spreads via mosquitos, gain a mutation to be airborne. But since there are an abundance of mosquito…

Post by nightfly » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:16 AM UTC

bsbechtel wrote: post #284

fiblye wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're comparing individual species with an entire family. Countless animals rely on mosquitoes as a valuable food source. And before someone brings up the tired "mosquito predators all eat things besides mosquitoes" argument, people eat food besides grains. It doesn't mean we wouldn't still be 100% fucked if rice and wheat went extinct overnight.

I've heard that's not true. I've never investigated it to verify, and personally thought it was a little hard to believe, but nonetheless your assumption may not be correct.

Post by learc83 » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:17 AM UTC

fiblye wrote: post #279

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,…

You're comparing individual species with an entire family. Countless animals rely on mosquitoes as a valuable food source. And before someone brings up the tired "mosquito predators all eat things besides mosquitoes" argument, people eat food besides grains. It doesn't mean we wouldn't still be 100% fucked if rice and wheat went extinct overnight.

Post by Joof » Thu, Apr 21, 2016, 1:39 AM UTC

learc83 wrote: post #287

fiblye wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're comparing individual species with an entire family. Countless animals rely on mosquitoes as a valuable food source. And before someone brings up the tired "mosquito predators all eat things besides mosquitoes" argument, people eat food besides grains. It doesn't mean we wouldn't still be 100% fucked if rice and wheat went extinct overnight.

No one wants to seriously wipe out all 3000+ species of mosquitoes. There are only a few species that are harmful to humans.