Live data from Hacker News

Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

theguardian.com

41–50 of 118 posts

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#41
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the Gell-Mann amnesia effect [1] needs to be made more widely known. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton#GellMannAmnes...

Yeah, but we've heard ad-nauseam about the Gell-Mann effect. I wish there were an equally clever idiom I could trot out when people criticise professions they probably know noting about. Journalism is an incredibly difficult field to work in, and journalism as a profession is just barely still a thing due to loss of advertising revenue to online platforms. Think about it, we've traded a profession that has historical…

>> I wish there were an equally clever idiom I could trot out when people criticise professions they probably know noting about.

Isn't that "Pointy-Haired Boss syndrome"?

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#42
post #30
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I know it's really popular these days to shit on journalists, and I agree that the quality of some outlets can be less then desirable, but it is an incredibly difficult field that involves a lot of work, little pay, little thanks, and terrible job security. Looking at this article, there is no Author by-line, but just the "Global Health" topic. Digging in, their Global Health topic is managed by their "Global develop…

What is incredibly difficult about being a journalist? It is the core of their job to read stuff and know better than the average how to make sense of things they read. Not "very difficult" by any measure, we are simply witnessing sheer laziness.

You sound like the pointy-haired boss from Dilbert. "Anything I don't understand must be easy."

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#43
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, but we've heard ad-nauseam about the Gell-Mann effect. I wish there were an equally clever idiom I could trot out when people criticise professions they probably know noting about. Journalism is an incredibly difficult field to work in, and journalism as a profession is just barely still a thing due to loss of advertising revenue to online platforms. Think about it, we've traded a profession that has historical…

>> I wish there were an equally clever idiom I could trot out when people criticise professions they probably know noting about. Isn't that "Pointy-Haired Boss syndrome"?

Good point. https://dilbert.com/strip/1994-10-17

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#44
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the Gell-Mann amnesia effect [1] needs to be made more widely known. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Crichton#GellMannAmnes...

Yeah, but we've heard ad-nauseam about the Gell-Mann effect. I wish there were an equally clever idiom I could trot out when people criticise professions they probably know noting about. Journalism is an incredibly difficult field to work in, and journalism as a profession is just barely still a thing due to loss of advertising revenue to online platforms. Think about it, we've traded a profession that has historical…

I though there was a word for that: arrogance, especially when mixed in with ignorance. I.e. that's both arrogant and ignorant. Not an idiom, but direct and clear. I'm afraid there's a trend of not calling things by their name because someone might take offense.

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#46
Ok translation: Ivermectin, a safe and well-tolerated bacteria-derived insecticide already used in humans, can kill mosquitoes. By feeding humans ivermectin, mosquito populations can be reduced, which in turn reduces spread of the malaria parasite which is transported via mosquitoes.

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#47
post #12

>science journalism I think this is the case for pretty much every area of journalism. If you are a subject matter expert, you quickly realize that 90% of coverage of that subject is dreadful.

I know it's really popular these days to shit on journalists, and I agree that the quality of some outlets can be less then desirable, but it is an incredibly difficult field that involves a lot of work, little pay, little thanks, and terrible job security. Looking at this article, there is no Author by-line, but just the "Global Health" topic. Digging in, their Global Health topic is managed by their "Global develop…

> Looking at this article, there is no Author by-line,

It says "Gitonga Njeru in Nairobi" on the left side.

Here's the author: https://news.mongabay.com/by/gitonga-njeru/

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#48

>science journalism I think this is the case for pretty much every area of journalism. If you are a subject matter expert, you quickly realize that 90% of coverage of that subject is dreadful.

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20943405.

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#49
post #46

Ok translation: Ivermectin, a safe and well-tolerated bacteria-derived insecticide already used in humans, can kill mosquitoes. By feeding humans ivermectin, mosquito populations can be reduced, which in turn reduces spread of the malaria parasite which is transported via mosquitoes.

Does it work with West Nile, Zika, EEE and other mosquito borne diseases too? If so that’d be even better news on top of good.

Do the downvotes mean this blood medicine does not affect these mosquitoes?

Re: Malaria breakthrough as scientists find ‘highly effective’ way to kill parasite

#50

As a kid growing up in Malaria country I got yellow jaundice. Doctor told my dad that since I had had yellow jaundice I was "immune" to malaria. Its been 35 odd years since I have taken any malaria medication. Family members often get malaria once or so a year. A few years ago I decided to check to see if there were was any literature online with link between Malaria and jaundice. I couldn't find any papers online. N…

sickle cell anemia can make you resistant to malaria and also cause jaundice.
Post reply on HN