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Well, this also works from the opposite perspective: we have evolved to combat earth virusses, but haven't evolved to combat anything from another planet. Lacki
by ako 6y ago
Well, this also works from the opposite perspective: we have evolved to combat earth virusses, but haven't evolved to combat anything from another planet. Lacking the shared evolutionary history may leave us more vulnerable.
- adrianN 6y agoAn alien virus would have to be very lucky indeed to have the necessary machinery to dock to our cell's and inject itself into the cells replication mechanism. Viruses are often not even able to bridge the gap between relatively closely related species. A alien virus being able to infect Earth life seems vastly less likely than a virus that infects sea sponges being able to infect humans and nobody really worries about that.
- k_ 6y agoIt wouldn't have to be some form of virus to be deadly though, right? Something like prions or unlike anything we know could be equally (or more) deadly to us or even all life on earth. Our imagination is quite limited in this domain and well let's hope it stays this way.. (not that I find any such scenario to be even remotely likely) Edit: well, that's basically what's being said in a parent comment
- adrianN 6y agoYes, alien bacteria have a much better chance at surviving.