GM fungus can rapidly kill mosquitoes that spread malaria, study suggests

Post by [deleted] » Fri, May 31, 2019, 1:12 PM UTC

pvaldes wrote: post #50

pvaldes wrote: post #48

Do you know why 99,99% of the extant spiders are harmless to humans? 1) Because many spiders (but not all) are evolved to target insect methabolism instead mammal methabolism 2) Because spiders aren't bees. The majority are solitary and small, have a limited body size and can just inject a single tiny dose of its extra-potent poisons. 3) and their tiny chelicers are too small and weak to pierce the human skin until r…

Of course having 3000 species of spiders to choose they needed to play with the cool funnel-web spider. One of the most deadly spiders for humans. Wise choice. Atracotoxins. Stuff extremely toxic for a particular kind of animal: primates, causing pulmonary and cerebral edema in humans. Fortunately for mosquitoes, atracotoxins are relatively weak as insect killer. Big spiders rely in their fangs to subdue the prey. My…

Post by zapita » Fri, May 31, 2019, 1:14 PM UTC

thaumasiotes wrote: post #61

pygy_ wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure why you're being downvoted. Colonization, was brutal, self-serving, and its economic consequences are still felt to this day (especially when neocolonialism through private corporations and puppet governments is still a thing).

It's probably this incredible nonsense: >> The reason former colonies haven’t been able to do the same at home is because their society and economy are permanently crippled by colonization. Here's an interesting passage from Early China: A Social and Cultural History ( https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GA22L0E/ ): > Even when we are talking only about the areas that can be considered as part of Early China, back in a time…

Post by falsedan » Fri, May 31, 2019, 1:19 PM UTC

pvaldes wrote: post #50

pvaldes wrote: post #48

Do you know why 99,99% of the extant spiders are harmless to humans? 1) Because many spiders (but not all) are evolved to target insect methabolism instead mammal methabolism 2) Because spiders aren't bees. The majority are solitary and small, have a limited body size and can just inject a single tiny dose of its extra-potent poisons. 3) and their tiny chelicers are too small and weak to pierce the human skin until r…

Of course having 3000 species of spiders to choose they needed to play with the cool funnel-web spider. One of the most deadly spiders for humans. Wise choice. Atracotoxins. Stuff extremely toxic for a particular kind of animal: primates, causing pulmonary and cerebral edema in humans. Fortunately for mosquitoes, atracotoxins are relatively weak as insect killer. Big spiders rely in their fangs to subdue the prey. My…

Post by Nasrudith » Fri, May 31, 2019, 1:23 PM UTC

pvaldes wrote: post #48

Do you know why 99,99% of the extant spiders are harmless to humans? 1) Because many spiders (but not all) are evolved to target insect methabolism instead mammal methabolism 2) Because spiders aren't bees. The majority are solitary and small, have a limited body size and can just inject a single tiny dose of its extra-potent poisons. 3) and their tiny chelicers are too small and weak to pierce the human skin until r…

Post by BinaryResult » Fri, May 31, 2019, 1:37 PM UTC

jddj wrote: post #31

These threads about whether it's moral to kill mosquitoes en masse always seem to end up being about unintended consequences and ecosystem collapse. Some points to consider: - Those who study the strains of mosquito (a generous 50 out of ~3500) which spread disease in humans regularly state that they are not a primary food source for any one predator.[1] - Malaria killed 429 000 people in 2015, 90% of those being in…