4 ms·

As noted downthread, these points don't particularly point to it being engineered (point 1 applies in spades to SARS and MERS, for example). Most scientists bel

by hazeii 6y ago

As noted downthread, these points don't particularly point to it being engineered (point 1 applies in spades to SARS and MERS, for example). Most scientists believe the evidence [0] indicates it's of natural origin. [0] https://www.sciencealert.com/the-new-coronavirus-could-have-been-percolating-innocently-in-humans-for-years https://www.sciencealert.com/the-new-coronavirus-could-have-...

trevelyan 6y ago
> SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins were so effective at binding to human cells, they had to be caused by natural selection. Read the article you are citing. There is convincing evidence that the virus developed via evolutionary mechanisms. That in no way refutes lab-origin and is entirely consistent with how most labs promote infectiousness (particularly airborn infectiousness) through gain-of-function research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4693520/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4693520/
- hazeii 6y ago
  >There is convincing evidence it developed via evolutionary origins. Er, yes. Not sure what you're saying here (the title is "..Covid-19 is not a naturally-evolved virus...')?
  - trevelyan 6y ago
    Gain of function serial infection techniques do not constitute natural evolution: they constitute lab-directed evolution. That is for all intents and purposes man-made, unless one is splitting hairs, which much of the politicized media is doing.
    - hazeii 6y ago
      Very unlikely to be the case here though, in particular because the same receptor domain is found in the wild (e.g. pangolins). Yes, quite a lot of media have become politicised (the reason for which being quite well understood). None the less, the science is what it is - provisional. It is not surprising that commercial entities take particular positions to benefit from said politicisation. In most countries at least, the science will ultimately give us the answer.

by hazeii 6y ago

trevelyan 6y ago

> SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins were so effective at binding to human cells, they had to be caused by natural selection. Read the article you are citing. There is convincing evidence that the virus developed via evolutionary mechanisms. That in no way refutes lab-origin and is entirely consistent with how most labs promote infectiousness (particularly airborn infectiousness) through gain-of-function research. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4693520/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4693520/

hazeii 6y ago
>There is convincing evidence it developed via evolutionary origins. Er, yes. Not sure what you're saying here (the title is "..Covid-19 is not a naturally-evolved virus...')?
- trevelyan 6y ago
  Gain of function serial infection techniques do not constitute natural evolution: they constitute lab-directed evolution. That is for all intents and purposes man-made, unless one is splitting hairs, which much of the politicized media is doing.
  - hazeii 6y ago
    Very unlikely to be the case here though, in particular because the same receptor domain is found in the wild (e.g. pangolins). Yes, quite a lot of media have become politicised (the reason for which being quite well understood). None the less, the science is what it is - provisional. It is not surprising that commercial entities take particular positions to benefit from said politicisation. In most countries at least, the science will ultimately give us the answer.