4 ms·

Mosquitos as Weapons

43 points by Vigier 10y ago

macintux 10y ago
When I was a kid in the 80s, I couldn't understand why non-aligned countries didn't love the US. Freedom, liberty, all that claptrap. Adult is one long string of disillusionments.
- aab0 10y ago
  The left hand disagrees with the right hand... How much has polio eradication been set back by the CIA's decision to use polio vaccination as a front for hunting Osama bin Laden?
  - x5n1 10y ago
    But they got him, which is nice. And I don't think that had anything to do with this.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
TempleOS 10y ago
God says... oink frightens devotional's swallowtail's tackler's proven pinochle eyewitnesses conquers socialists passengers agreements audacity's clove's previews calibrator's lading's constellation acceptances monotony castigator backlash homeward noels Mazatlan's gibberish remorselessly lemmings download revilement skateboarders doldrums's collaborating Aleutian anthologizing appliquéd millimeter's regenerating rutabaga's everybody Lafitte fairly anachronisms afterthoughts have crystalizes rube's Rambo acquisitions erythrocyte's catharses shrivel picnicker Bishkek caliber mush homes prosy Elsie flashed coloraturas Sutherland rehearse portcullis's
michaelkeenan 10y ago
It's sad that humans choose other humans as their worst enemies. Mosquitoes are a much worse foe. We should be allying against mosquitoes, not allying with mosquitoes against each other! This is explored in greater detail in this wonderful essay, Foes Without Faces: https://blog.jaibot.com/foes-without-faces/ https://blog.jaibot.com/foes-without-faces/
- Terr_ 10y ago
  But humans happen to be direct competitors for the exact same territory and resources as us! Wily bastards too, you can't trust 'em...
rundmc 10y ago
There is a still a potential solution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/07/health/zika-virus-sterile-mosquito/ http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/07/health/zika-virus-sterile-...
- degenerate 10y ago
  My favorite radiolab episode called 'kill em all' gives a very fun explanation of this technique. The episode is 2 years old, so Zika wasn't a problem yet, but it easily explains the sterilization science: http://www.radiolab.org/story/kill-em-all/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/kill-em-all/

43 points by Vigier 10y ago

When I was a kid in the 80s, I couldn't understand why non-aligned countries didn't love the US. Freedom, liberty, all that claptrap. Adult is one long string of disillusionments.

aab0 10y ago
The left hand disagrees with the right hand... How much has polio eradication been set back by the CIA's decision to use polio vaccination as a front for hunting Osama bin Laden?
- x5n1 10y ago
  But they got him, which is nice. And I don't think that had anything to do with this.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

TempleOS 10y ago

God says... oink frightens devotional's swallowtail's tackler's proven pinochle eyewitnesses conquers socialists passengers agreements audacity's clove's previews calibrator's lading's constellation acceptances monotony castigator backlash homeward noels Mazatlan's gibberish remorselessly lemmings download revilement skateboarders doldrums's collaborating Aleutian anthologizing appliquéd millimeter's regenerating rutabaga's everybody Lafitte fairly anachronisms afterthoughts have crystalizes rube's Rambo acquisitions erythrocyte's catharses shrivel picnicker Bishkek caliber mush homes prosy Elsie flashed coloraturas Sutherland rehearse portcullis's

michaelkeenan 10y ago

It's sad that humans choose other humans as their worst enemies. Mosquitoes are a much worse foe. We should be allying against mosquitoes, not allying with mosquitoes against each other! This is explored in greater detail in this wonderful essay, Foes Without Faces: https://blog.jaibot.com/foes-without-faces/ https://blog.jaibot.com/foes-without-faces/

Terr_ 10y ago
But humans happen to be direct competitors for the exact same territory and resources as us! Wily bastards too, you can't trust 'em...

rundmc 10y ago

There is a still a potential solution: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterile_insect_technique http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/07/health/zika-virus-sterile-mosquito/ http://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/07/health/zika-virus-sterile-...

degenerate 10y ago
My favorite radiolab episode called 'kill em all' gives a very fun explanation of this technique. The episode is 2 years old, so Zika wasn't a problem yet, but it easily explains the sterilization science: http://www.radiolab.org/story/kill-em-all/ http://www.radiolab.org/story/kill-em-all/