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I don't think eradicating viruses is a good thing. For one, the human placenta is the result of a virus doing its thing many years ago [1]. My personal opinion
by dragosmocrii 6y ago
I don't think eradicating viruses is a good thing. For one, the human placenta is the result of a virus doing its thing many years ago [1].
My personal opinion is that we should strive to create antidotes when the body fails to fix itself, instead of removing the threat altogether. Evolution needs viruses, in the same way the universe needs entropy.
1. https://whyy.org/segments/the-placenta-went-viral-and-protomammals-were-born/ https://whyy.org/segments/the-placenta-went-viral-and-protom...
- foobiekr 6y agonot just the placenta, we're full of these botched germ-line viruses. endogenous retroviruses in mammals are amazing. primates owe to one or more ERVs the effectiveness of the p53 gene activation (p52 is a tumor suppressor gene).
- raducu 6y agoThat's a nice theory and it seems very likely to be true: that viruses have driven evolution, perhaps much faster than without them. But the cost for individuals is tremendous, 99.9999999% cases the infection would not be beneficial. Perhaps in a short while we can do much better ourselves, it certainly seems we humans want to transcend evolution and death.
- FirstLvR 6y agofascinating idea, we should trascend.. the alternative is death
- ajsnigrutin 6y ago> I don't think eradicating viruses is a good thing. Yep, if nothing else, we need them to "train" our immune systems. Treating the coronavirus as a flu would be a best option... vaccinate the most exposed and vulnerable groups, and let others get it.
- _Microft 6y agoWe do train our immune systems. Just no longer only with random brawls but also with specialized trainings: vaccines.
- red75prime 6y ago> Evolution needs viruses, in the same way the universe needs entropy. The question is do we need the blind god of evolution.