The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes • Hacker News Board

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#51

Post by corty » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 12:22 PM UTC

DonHopkins wrote: post #49

smabie wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well then I'll be the first. Let's just kill them, they're annoying.

We just need to recruit and deploy billions of Vampire Spiders! https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/aug/05/m... >Mosquito-eating vampire spider could be recruited for war on malaria >Cross says that these arachnids, also known as vampire spiders, “love” feeding on human blood as it gives them an odour that renders them sexually attractive to potential mates. >But the spiders pose no danger to humans,…

Yeah, right. Instead of just getting rid of the moskitos, let's introduce a spider that likes human blood, but is currently unable to get it directly. No chance for that one to go wrong...

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#52

Post by sidpatil » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 1:09 PM UTC

jvanderbot wrote: post #25

betwixthewires wrote: post #6

I just want to point out that I've never heard anyone call for the eradication of mosquitoes that don't spread disease in humans, a major premise of the article.

I'd say kill them all.

Are you from Buenos Aires?

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#53

Post by is_true » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 1:36 PM UTC

sidpatil wrote: post #52

jvanderbot wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd say kill them all.

Are you from Buenos Aires?

I think he is talking about pokemon. BA doesn't have that many mosquitoes, but had many cases of dengue the last few years.

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#54

Post by mc32 » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 1:41 PM UTC

_cs2017_ wrote: post #41

How is the beauty of the insect or the way it cares about its eggs relevant to whether or not it should be eradicated? > Must we also evict the magnificently iridescent mosquitoes whose larvae prey on dangerous species, or the ones that pollinate flowers at night, or the single species known to risk its life to protect its eggs from harm?

It’s nice and poetic. These thoughts will leave any non modern human in peril in the savanna or most wildernesses because nature doesn’t care and can be utterly violent.

I would call this attitude the privilege of modernity that disconnects people from immediate danger affording them these mental exercises that would in another time imperil them.

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#55

Post by kleer001 » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 1:50 PM UTC

jacobwilliamroy wrote: post #10

kleer001 wrote: post #2

Ok, some of those are really pretty. Still, as the number one killer of humans, ever, I'd say that hate is well earned.

I thought the number one cause of death in humans was heart disease?

per capita in certain countries

but by historical body count alone nothing comes close to those little buggers

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#56

Post by finiteseries » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 2:00 PM UTC

wesleywt wrote: post #27

I seem to be the lone defender of the mosquito and tsetse fly. These insects protect animals and habitats from the most insidious creature on this planet,humans.

These insects don’t protect anything, mosquitos and tsetse flies haven’t been a valid reason to avoid settling an area since the Colombian Exchange. It isn’t difficult to drain a marsh.

Any precious little swamp (where all the wondrous animals within are also being preyed upon by mosquitoes & eg tsetse flies) is still going to be drained if it makes economic sense, and it typically does!

The only place where mosquitoes and tsetse flies protect “habitats” are in the most backwater, poorest, least developed regions of the planet where all the millions of deaths are as well, it figures their lives don’t matter/can be taken advantage of in the name of “nature”.

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#57

Post by mykowebhn » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 2:09 PM UTC

_cs2017_ wrote: post #41

How is the beauty of the insect or the way it cares about its eggs relevant to whether or not it should be eradicated? > Must we also evict the magnificently iridescent mosquitoes whose larvae prey on dangerous species, or the ones that pollinate flowers at night, or the single species known to risk its life to protect its eggs from harm?

The beauty of most species is entirely relevant to whether or not it should be eradicated.

Conservation biologists and botanists recognize that beauty and, more generally, charisma are what gets the public's attention when the former seek help for their conservation efforts. As such, you'll often see the most charismatic species--pandas, whales, and seals, for example--on conservation brochures. People only ever open their wallets to support conservation efforts if they see pictures of charismatic species.

This is not just a marketing ploy. The public really only cares when charismatic species are threatened with extinction. A midwestern grass or an ugly insect? Not so much.

So the beauty of the insect or the way it cares about its eggs is entirely relevant in the public opinion, which in turn determines public policy, to whether or not it should be eradicated.

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#58

Post by Abishek_Muthian » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 2:15 PM UTC

mc32 wrote: post #54

_cs2017_ wrote: post #41

How is the beauty of the insect or the way it cares about its eggs relevant to whether or not it should be eradicated? > Must we also evict the magnificently iridescent mosquitoes whose larvae prey on dangerous species, or the ones that pollinate flowers at night, or the single species known to risk its life to protect its eggs from harm?

It’s nice and poetic. These thoughts will leave any non modern human in peril in the savanna or most wildernesses because nature doesn’t care and can be utterly violent. I would call this attitude the privilege of modernity that disconnects people from immediate danger affording them these mental exercises that would in another time imperil them.

>...savanna or most wildernesses.

Reading this while dual wielding mosquito bats like a Jedi while the mosquito repellent is nauseating me at my suburban house in India.

My school books proudly claimed Alexander the Great died because of the Malaria he contracted during his campaign in India.

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#59

Post by moralestapia » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 2:25 PM UTC

jacobwilliamroy wrote: post #10

kleer001 wrote: post #2

Ok, some of those are really pretty. Still, as the number one killer of humans, ever, I'd say that hate is well earned.

I thought the number one cause of death in humans was heart disease?

You are right, and finding data on that is trivial. It is quite foolish to argue against that.

Re: The Secret Lives of Mosquitoes

#60

Post by specialist » Sat, Aug 21, 2021, 2:38 PM UTC

_cs2017_ wrote: post #41

How is the beauty of the insect or the way it cares about its eggs relevant to whether or not it should be eradicated? > Must we also evict the magnificently iridescent mosquitoes whose larvae prey on dangerous species, or the ones that pollinate flowers at night, or the single species known to risk its life to protect its eggs from harm?

Not all decisions are strictly utilitarian, rational, logical.