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Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

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Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#301

Post by vegardx »

cb18 wrote: post #299
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,…

threatens the lives of poor people in third world countries, suddenly we're worried about the ecosystem? I don't know how this will be received. I don't even know how I feel about it. But someone has to ask the tough questions. Is it evolutionarily prudent to go about saving people who can't save themselves? our current solution of "let all the poor people die" is not a good one. I don't think that is our "current so…

Hold on, evolution stopped being the driving force for human development a long time ago.

The question you should be asking is how we can accept that so many people are unable to save themselves because of actions we (developed world) have taken. Both recently and in the past.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#302

Post by dr_toolittle »

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.

Humans are considered harmful to the world as a whole. There's only one human species that would need to be eliminated to solve that problem. You up for that as well?

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#303

Post by imakesnowflakes »

jessaustin wrote: post #193
imakesnowflakes wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry. I have no idea what you are talking about. Are you a biologist/ecologist or someone knowledgeable in the field?

Instead of asking for credentials, just think a little harder. If "airborne malaria" could possibly be a thing, it would already be a thing. Plasmodium isn't a work crew responsible for killing a given number of people every year, after which they relax for a bit, only getting really creative when they fall behind their quota. It is a reproducing species that will reproduce and thrive as much as possible. There is no…

Sorry. I have to ask this to you also. Are you a biologists/ecologists or some one knowledgable in the field?

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#304

Post by cb18 »

vegardx wrote: post #301
cb18 wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

threatens the lives of poor people in third world countries, suddenly we're worried about the ecosystem? I don't know how this will be received. I don't even know how I feel about it. But someone has to ask the tough questions. Is it evolutionarily prudent to go about saving people who can't save themselves? our current solution of "let all the poor people die" is not a good one. I don't think that is our "current so…

Hold on, evolution stopped being the driving force for human development a long time ago. The question you should be asking is how we can accept that so many people are unable to save themselves because of actions we (developed world) have taken. Both recently and in the past.

evolution stopped being the driving force for human development a long time ago.

Why in the world would you think that? We're still made of genes aren't we? We still sexually reproduce don't we?

because of actions we (developed world) have taken

Stark differences existed between the continents long before colonisation. Stark differences exist in areas that were never colonised.

Some areas that were colonised are now thriving.

As much as we like to flatter ourselves, we are not the cause of all the world's problems.

Nor is the constant haranguing of people who have nothing to do with events decades and centuries past of benefit to anybody.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#305

Post by zzazzdsa »

dr_toolittle wrote: post #302
learc83 wrote: post #287

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Humans are considered harmful to the world as a whole. There's only one human species that would need to be eliminated to solve that problem. You up for that as well?

Sure thing. Mind if we start with you?

/s

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#306

Post by dllthomas »

nightfly wrote: post #285
bsbechtel wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

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.

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.

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#307

Post by mark-r »

robert_nsu wrote: post #93
TheCondor wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Dragonflies eat mosquitos. I happen to like dragonflies. The are one of the non-annoying insects I actually like to have in my (non) backyard. edit: http://www.chron.com/life/gardening/article/Dragonflies-Moth...

When I was young, people were encouraged to build homes for Purple Martins, because it was believed that these birds ate a substantial quantity of mosquitos. Later it was discovered that they actually prefer to eat dragonflies. Oops!

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#308

Post by CamperBob2 »

technotony wrote: post #237
maaku wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

I’ve actually wondered if we should create some kind of ‘blackops’ X-prize. Crowdfund a million dollars in bitcoin and release it to someone who can prove they released a gene drive that wiped these monsters out. Obviously this would be a major violation of the democratic process, but I feel like the utilitarian ends here justify the means. Should an individual have the power to take a global decision like this? Prob…

Of course, the big problem with utilitarianism is that, in the immortal words of Gandalf, "Even the very wise cannot see all ends."

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#309

Post by mirimir »

Do we really know biological systems well enough to globalize code that nukes all X chromosomes in sperm? Maybe there are unknown mechanisms for cross-species sequence transfer. That could end up being quite the Darwin award ;)

Re: Let's Kill All the Mosquitoes

#310

Post by mirimir »

cb18 wrote: post #304
vegardx wrote: post #301

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hold on, evolution stopped being the driving force for human development a long time ago. The question you should be asking is how we can accept that so many people are unable to save themselves because of actions we (developed world) have taken. Both recently and in the past.

evolution stopped being the driving force for human development a long time ago. Why in the world would you think that? We're still made of genes aren't we? We still sexually reproduce don't we? because of actions we (developed world) have taken Stark differences existed between the continents long before colonisation. Stark differences exist in areas that were never colonised. Some areas that were colonised are now…

True. But it's social and cultural evolution that matter now.
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