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I know you prefaced your ignorant question with "Ignorant question:", and I don't think it's wrong to ask questions of experts on HN. (That's one of the best th

by nardi 6y ago

I know you prefaced your ignorant question with "Ignorant question:", and I don't think it's wrong to ask questions of experts on HN. (That's one of the best things about this site!) However, I'm downvoting you anyway because, despite that preface, you seem to be falling into the trap of a smart geek in one field vastly (vastly!) oversimplifying the complexities of another field, and acting as if all we needed to solve this problem was for someone like yourself to come up with this fantastic idea. No, you can't approximate a human immune system with red and white blood cells in a container of liquid. No, adding some other cells in there won't help. If that were effective, we'd be doing it already. You are either overestimating your own ingenuity or underestimating the ingenuity of tens of thousands of scientists, doctors, and engineers.

gbear605 6y ago
Alternatively, OP could be answered by someone saying that this is already being done. And apparently it is in some form, according to a sibling comment of yours. Maybe that’s incorrect, but you chose the least charitable interpretation instead of “Hey, here’s an idea. Why doesn’t it work like I think it would, and does it have any uses in any form?”
- nardi 6y ago
  The question was, "is it possible to have something resembling a human immune system without a full body?" The answer is no, for somewhat obvious reasons. The human immune system involves many organs and tissues and cells working together in very complex ways. And I think your charitable interpretation is quite a bit too charitable. OP did not say anything like "why doesn't it work like I think it would".
waterhouse 6y ago
My last sentence shows that I don't think my comment is going to save us from (or even help with) this pandemic. I also chose to ask it in a thread towards the bottom where the OP is answering not-new concerns. I think you have pattern-matched me (well, you say as much) and have read some intentions into my comment. For the record, my main intention was to get an expert to say something that would gratify my curiosity and that of other readers. I hadn't heard of it before, so I assumed it was likely impractical at the moment, but guessed that technology would eventually get there. Also, are you an expert in this field? Your sibling comment seems to be saying "yes they are working on it, no it's not practical yet except for HIV" (I presume because HIV infects white blood cells), which is at odds with your second paragraph. (Edit: Though, to be very precise, the examples from the sibling comment are about measuring infectivity and—I guess—the impact of drugs, not immune response.) It would be ironic if a non-expert gave an ignorant dismissal of a question for being ignorant.

by nardi 6y ago

gbear605 6y ago

Alternatively, OP could be answered by someone saying that this is already being done. And apparently it is in some form, according to a sibling comment of yours. Maybe that’s incorrect, but you chose the least charitable interpretation instead of “Hey, here’s an idea. Why doesn’t it work like I think it would, and does it have any uses in any form?”

nardi 6y ago
The question was, "is it possible to have something resembling a human immune system without a full body?" The answer is no, for somewhat obvious reasons. The human immune system involves many organs and tissues and cells working together in very complex ways. And I think your charitable interpretation is quite a bit too charitable. OP did not say anything like "why doesn't it work like I think it would".

waterhouse 6y ago

My last sentence shows that I don't think my comment is going to save us from (or even help with) this pandemic. I also chose to ask it in a thread towards the bottom where the OP is answering not-new concerns. I think you have pattern-matched me (well, you say as much) and have read some intentions into my comment. For the record, my main intention was to get an expert to say something that would gratify my curiosity and that of other readers. I hadn't heard of it before, so I assumed it was likely impractical at the moment, but guessed that technology would eventually get there. Also, are you an expert in this field? Your sibling comment seems to be saying "yes they are working on it, no it's not practical yet except for HIV" (I presume because HIV infects white blood cells), which is at odds with your second paragraph. (Edit: Though, to be very precise, the examples from the sibling comment are about measuring infectivity and—I guess—the impact of drugs, not immune response.) It would be ironic if a non-expert gave an ignorant dismissal of a question for being ignorant.