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You're complaining about the world's Neanderthal genome experts [0] continuing to work on the Neanderthal genome ... There is no claim here of a novel finding

by svara 6y ago

You're complaining about the world's Neanderthal genome experts [0] continuing to work on the Neanderthal genome ... There is no claim here of a novel finding of immediate biomedical significance; rather this builds on top of other people's biomedically relevant work, which is cited in the abstract. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_P%C3%A4%C3%A4bo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_P%C3%A4%C3%A4bo

DoreenMichele 6y ago
No, not really. I'm more complaining about what the world chooses to focus on. When the pandemic started, there were numerous articles on the front page of HN about ventilators and how to build your own and nonsense like that and I was critical of that as well. And it soon turned out that ventilators weren't really a good solution. Neanderthal experts can study whatever they want to study, but their research is being connected to this pandemic and given that we are in lock down number two, I think we have more urgent issues than where these genes came from and I wish people in general -- the world at large -- would focus on that. Granted, I'm short of sleep and no doubt saying things somewhat ham-handedly.
- kennywinker 6y ago
  This could be a useful piece of the puzzle, or it could be entirely useless, but we don't get to say that now - only time will tell. This is how research works. Computers came out of research into weaving and loom technology. If you had said we need technology to interconnect the globe, you wouldn't have funded research into weaving. Yet here we are.
  - DoreenMichele 6y ago
    I have a genetic disorder. I have been getting better for nearly two decades while the world attacks and dismisses me as a lunatic and teller of tall tales for the crime of talking on the internet about it sometimes. I got better by looking at what we know about how the genetic defect impacts cell function in my body and learning a lot about cell function and connecting the dots between the micro -- molecules misprocessed at the cellular level -- and the macro -- dysfunction in certain tissues and how the body handles and mishandles food, among other things. I'm not capable of setting aside twenty years of life experience in order to fit myself neatly into the Overton Window, especially when short of sleep. It never ceases to amaze me how much negative attention my comments get, like it's just incredibly important for people who think they know more about science than I do to quash my ability to give my 2 cents. My stellar credentials include being a homemaker for two decades and spending nearly six years homeless. Everyone on the planet is more than welcome to look at my comments, decide quietly to themselves that I'm an idiot who knows nothing, downvote it and move the fuck on rather than lecturing me about the crime of having thoughts about the pandemic and what I think we should be looking at if we actually want to solve it and not treat it like we are looky-loos at a zoo seeking entertainment in the deaths of our fellow human beings. Science also includes critical thinking, critique of what has been done, rigorous discussion and a whole lot of other things beyond just dicking around with exploring whatever catches our fancy for funsies.
    - kennywinker 6y ago
      I'm not sure why, but you're taking my comment as a personal attack. I was not personally attacking you, or trying to quash your 2 cents. You gave your 2 cents, and I disagree with the main thrust of what you said, so I gave my 2 cents on the topic. That's all that's happened, you're not being run out of town on a rail for speaking outside the overton window - you just suggested that this research was a waste of time and I argued that it does not seem to me to be a waste of time. It seems like you have some resentment because you don't feel your personally acquired knowledge is being valued correctly? That may be the case generally, but it's not the case here, I assure you.
      - DoreenMichele 6y ago
        No, I wasn't taking it as a personal attack.

by svara 6y ago

DoreenMichele 6y ago

No, not really. I'm more complaining about what the world chooses to focus on. When the pandemic started, there were numerous articles on the front page of HN about ventilators and how to build your own and nonsense like that and I was critical of that as well. And it soon turned out that ventilators weren't really a good solution. Neanderthal experts can study whatever they want to study, but their research is being connected to this pandemic and given that we are in lock down number two, I think we have more urgent issues than where these genes came from and I wish people in general -- the world at large -- would focus on that. Granted, I'm short of sleep and no doubt saying things somewhat ham-handedly.

kennywinker 6y ago
This could be a useful piece of the puzzle, or it could be entirely useless, but we don't get to say that now - only time will tell. This is how research works. Computers came out of research into weaving and loom technology. If you had said we need technology to interconnect the globe, you wouldn't have funded research into weaving. Yet here we are.
- DoreenMichele 6y ago
  I have a genetic disorder. I have been getting better for nearly two decades while the world attacks and dismisses me as a lunatic and teller of tall tales for the crime of talking on the internet about it sometimes. I got better by looking at what we know about how the genetic defect impacts cell function in my body and learning a lot about cell function and connecting the dots between the micro -- molecules misprocessed at the cellular level -- and the macro -- dysfunction in certain tissues and how the body handles and mishandles food, among other things. I'm not capable of setting aside twenty years of life experience in order to fit myself neatly into the Overton Window, especially when short of sleep. It never ceases to amaze me how much negative attention my comments get, like it's just incredibly important for people who think they know more about science than I do to quash my ability to give my 2 cents. My stellar credentials include being a homemaker for two decades and spending nearly six years homeless. Everyone on the planet is more than welcome to look at my comments, decide quietly to themselves that I'm an idiot who knows nothing, downvote it and move the fuck on rather than lecturing me about the crime of having thoughts about the pandemic and what I think we should be looking at if we actually want to solve it and not treat it like we are looky-loos at a zoo seeking entertainment in the deaths of our fellow human beings. Science also includes critical thinking, critique of what has been done, rigorous discussion and a whole lot of other things beyond just dicking around with exploring whatever catches our fancy for funsies.
  - kennywinker 6y ago
    I'm not sure why, but you're taking my comment as a personal attack. I was not personally attacking you, or trying to quash your 2 cents. You gave your 2 cents, and I disagree with the main thrust of what you said, so I gave my 2 cents on the topic. That's all that's happened, you're not being run out of town on a rail for speaking outside the overton window - you just suggested that this research was a waste of time and I argued that it does not seem to me to be a waste of time. It seems like you have some resentment because you don't feel your personally acquired knowledge is being valued correctly? That may be the case generally, but it's not the case here, I assure you.
    - DoreenMichele 6y ago
      No, I wasn't taking it as a personal attack.