4 ms·

Why does this feel a little like fear-mongering? George Carlin on germs, really funny stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnmMNdiCz_s https://www.youtube.c

Why does this feel a little like fear-mongering? George Carlin on germs, really funny stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnmMNdiCz_s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnmMNdiCz_s

andai 9y ago
Really? I thought it was more like awesome-mongering.
- RobertRoberts 9y ago
  What is awesome about viruses raining down from they sky?
  - aquadrop 9y ago
    The fact that it's happening and we're still alive.
    - amelius 9y ago
      This may change when the viruses are made to deliver engineered payloads.
      - RobertRoberts 9y ago
        What happens if there's a bug in the gene code/splicing, and a self-replicating virus causes a worse problem that it was intended to solve? (this happens all the time in pharmaceuticals already) Or because a virus was manipulated, it can then mutates in a way that in it's natural state, would never mutate? (another unforeseeable result)
        ncmncm 9y ago
        Viruses always mutate, and they are far more clever about it than any puny human. But fewer than one in a billion viral species has the slightest interest in infecting you.
    - RobertRoberts 9y ago
      Doesn't this strongly imply that we are actually quite immune to virus naturally, and only that a depressed immune system is what allows viruses to wreak havoc?
      - sfink 9y ago
        You seem to think of viruses as all the same? The headline (and text before the paywall) does not say or imply that these are human-infectious viruses. They're just viruses. As in, a basic form of life, basic enough that it's highly questionable whether it makes sense to call them living. They're everywhere. As are bacteria, and bugs (rapidly descending in orders of magnitude in that "everywhere"!) But it's certainly news to me that trillions are falling from the sky; I would have guessed that uv radiation would disrupt ("kill"?) them.
        RobertRoberts 9y ago
        >As in, a basic form of life,... From the article: >Do viruses even fit the definition of something alive? You said: >"...does not say or imply that these are human-infectious viruses." Article said: >"Viruses and their prey..." I think it's safe to assume this article's intent is to share information that is not obviously known to everyone, that's it's supposed to be "news" (ie, it's from the New York Times). So let's not pretend that this article is a rehash of common knowledge about the value/state of viruses.
  - doyoulikeworms 9y ago
    I don’t mean to be pedantic, but > awesome: causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear Trillions of viruses falling from the sky is up there in awesomeness to me!
  - kortex 9y ago
    A four-billion(ish) year old global signal transmission network! Think of the bandwidth in the DNA of trillions of viruses per square meter! And possibly a galactic network, if panspermia is a thing. What's the probability of life emerging ab initio on an organic planet, vs collisions spreading seed molecules from a source planet to those nearby? https://www.universetoday.com/137954/galactic-panspermia-interstellar-dust-transport-life-star-star/ https://www.universetoday.com/137954/galactic-panspermia-int...
ItsMe000001 9y ago
You should have read more than the headline before commenting.
- RobertRoberts 9y ago
  Let me rephrase then: "Why does this _headline_ feel a little like fear-mongering?"
  - ItsMe000001 9y ago
    Unless you have an (irrational exclusive) association of "virus = bad/fear/disease" to begin with the headline is perfectly fine. It's just your interpretation made by adding your own context. You should try to separate what is actually there from what you yourself add. It's a statement of fact that sounds interesting and that's all, and unlike what the other person said it's not very "click baity", it actually is a pretty accurate description of the main point.
    - RobertRoberts 9y ago
      No virus that I have ever had, or heard of anyone having, was ever called "good". I'm literally stunned this isn't common sense. To prove me wrong, please show me any everyday circumstance an average person from the past 50 years would have had a good experience with a virus.
      - ItsMe000001 9y ago
        You should read the article and take a course in biology. Coursera and even more so edX.org offer excellent free courses. To you last sentence: The fact that you exist. Viruses contributed significantly. If you had read the article(!) you would already have been told about that, including examples. For example, quoting the article: > Researchers recently identified an ancient virus that inserted its DNA into the genomes of four-limbed animals that were human ancestors. That snippet of genetic code, called ARC, is part of the nervous system of modern humans and plays a role in human consciousness — nerve communication, memory formation and higher-order thinking. Between 40 percent and 80 percent of the human genome may be linked to ancient viral invasions. It bothers me that there are people on HN that keep commenting while completely disregarding the article that is being discussed.

Why does this feel a little like fear-mongering? George Carlin on germs, really funny stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnmMNdiCz_s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnmMNdiCz_s

andai 9y ago

Really? I thought it was more like awesome-mongering.

RobertRoberts 9y ago
What is awesome about viruses raining down from they sky?
- aquadrop 9y ago
  The fact that it's happening and we're still alive.
  - amelius 9y ago
    This may change when the viruses are made to deliver engineered payloads.
    - RobertRoberts 9y ago
      What happens if there's a bug in the gene code/splicing, and a self-replicating virus causes a worse problem that it was intended to solve? (this happens all the time in pharmaceuticals already) Or because a virus was manipulated, it can then mutates in a way that in it's natural state, would never mutate? (another unforeseeable result)
      - ncmncm 9y ago
        Viruses always mutate, and they are far more clever about it than any puny human. But fewer than one in a billion viral species has the slightest interest in infecting you.
  - RobertRoberts 9y ago
    Doesn't this strongly imply that we are actually quite immune to virus naturally, and only that a depressed immune system is what allows viruses to wreak havoc?
    - sfink 9y ago
      You seem to think of viruses as all the same? The headline (and text before the paywall) does not say or imply that these are human-infectious viruses. They're just viruses. As in, a basic form of life, basic enough that it's highly questionable whether it makes sense to call them living. They're everywhere. As are bacteria, and bugs (rapidly descending in orders of magnitude in that "everywhere"!) But it's certainly news to me that trillions are falling from the sky; I would have guessed that uv radiation would disrupt ("kill"?) them.
      - RobertRoberts 9y ago
        >As in, a basic form of life,... From the article: >Do viruses even fit the definition of something alive? You said: >"...does not say or imply that these are human-infectious viruses." Article said: >"Viruses and their prey..." I think it's safe to assume this article's intent is to share information that is not obviously known to everyone, that's it's supposed to be "news" (ie, it's from the New York Times). So let's not pretend that this article is a rehash of common knowledge about the value/state of viruses.
- doyoulikeworms 9y ago
  I don’t mean to be pedantic, but > awesome: causing or inducing awe; inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear Trillions of viruses falling from the sky is up there in awesomeness to me!
- kortex 9y ago
  A four-billion(ish) year old global signal transmission network! Think of the bandwidth in the DNA of trillions of viruses per square meter! And possibly a galactic network, if panspermia is a thing. What's the probability of life emerging ab initio on an organic planet, vs collisions spreading seed molecules from a source planet to those nearby? https://www.universetoday.com/137954/galactic-panspermia-interstellar-dust-transport-life-star-star/ https://www.universetoday.com/137954/galactic-panspermia-int...

ItsMe000001 9y ago

You should have read more than the headline before commenting.

RobertRoberts 9y ago
Let me rephrase then: "Why does this _headline_ feel a little like fear-mongering?"
- ItsMe000001 9y ago
  Unless you have an (irrational exclusive) association of "virus = bad/fear/disease" to begin with the headline is perfectly fine. It's just your interpretation made by adding your own context. You should try to separate what is actually there from what you yourself add. It's a statement of fact that sounds interesting and that's all, and unlike what the other person said it's not very "click baity", it actually is a pretty accurate description of the main point.
  - RobertRoberts 9y ago
    No virus that I have ever had, or heard of anyone having, was ever called "good". I'm literally stunned this isn't common sense. To prove me wrong, please show me any everyday circumstance an average person from the past 50 years would have had a good experience with a virus.
    - ItsMe000001 9y ago
      You should read the article and take a course in biology. Coursera and even more so edX.org offer excellent free courses. To you last sentence: The fact that you exist. Viruses contributed significantly. If you had read the article(!) you would already have been told about that, including examples. For example, quoting the article: > Researchers recently identified an ancient virus that inserted its DNA into the genomes of four-limbed animals that were human ancestors. That snippet of genetic code, called ARC, is part of the nervous system of modern humans and plays a role in human consciousness — nerve communication, memory formation and higher-order thinking. Between 40 percent and 80 percent of the human genome may be linked to ancient viral invasions. It bothers me that there are people on HN that keep commenting while completely disregarding the article that is being discussed.