3 ms·

They don't have any predators, huh? What if we engineered one? Yeah, I know, but hypothetically speaking... what if we could?

droopyEyelids 6y ago
This is a subset of the "grey goo" scenario and to properly enjoy the fantasy, you should acknowledge that the natural world _is_ the grey goo scenario. Predators and prey are filling every niche they can, from the microscopic to the remaining megafauna. Zebra muscles are prolific, and anything that can prey upon them is well rewarded. Like the Lake Erie White Fish. https://uofmprojectzebramussels.weebly.com/natural-predators.html https://uofmprojectzebramussels.weebly.com/natural-predators...
camjohnson26 6y ago
Couldn’t you train an existing species to eat these? No idea just seems weird that there’s no natural predators.
- virmundi 6y ago
  They can get big. Like 400-1000 LBS. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogzilla https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogzilla They are vicious. Also they are tuff. They have about 1” of skull. They also have platted shoulders. This means that many handgun calibers do little to them. Well placed shots in the eye or ear will take them about. Otherwise you need a high powered round like a .454 or .3030. This means most creatures can’t take them on. We’ve also removed some that could like wolves. They reproduce rapidly. Even with wolves, their numbers grow because most alpha predators don’t want to fuck around with them for fun, only for food. Once the pack is satiated, the piggies move on. Boar are from Spain. They would let the pigs go while exploring. Come back a year later and you have a stocked larder. Hunt pig to get meat back on the menu.
EvanAnderson 6y ago
From the "The Simpsons" episode "Bart the Mother"[1] in which Springfield is overrun w/ Bolivian tree lizards, which are eating the town's pigeons: Principal Skinner: Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend. Lisa: But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're overrun by lizards? Skinner: No problem. We simply release wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards. Lisa: But aren't the snakes even worse? Skinner: Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat. Lisa: But then we're stuck with gorillas! Skinner: No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiK7jcC1fY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiK7jcC1fY

droopyEyelids 6y ago

This is a subset of the "grey goo" scenario and to properly enjoy the fantasy, you should acknowledge that the natural world _is_ the grey goo scenario. Predators and prey are filling every niche they can, from the microscopic to the remaining megafauna. Zebra muscles are prolific, and anything that can prey upon them is well rewarded. Like the Lake Erie White Fish. https://uofmprojectzebramussels.weebly.com/natural-predators.html https://uofmprojectzebramussels.weebly.com/natural-predators...

camjohnson26 6y ago

Couldn’t you train an existing species to eat these? No idea just seems weird that there’s no natural predators.

virmundi 6y ago
They can get big. Like 400-1000 LBS. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogzilla https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogzilla They are vicious. Also they are tuff. They have about 1” of skull. They also have platted shoulders. This means that many handgun calibers do little to them. Well placed shots in the eye or ear will take them about. Otherwise you need a high powered round like a .454 or .3030. This means most creatures can’t take them on. We’ve also removed some that could like wolves. They reproduce rapidly. Even with wolves, their numbers grow because most alpha predators don’t want to fuck around with them for fun, only for food. Once the pack is satiated, the piggies move on. Boar are from Spain. They would let the pigs go while exploring. Come back a year later and you have a stocked larder. Hunt pig to get meat back on the menu.

EvanAnderson 6y ago

From the "The Simpsons" episode "Bart the Mother"[1] in which Springfield is overrun w/ Bolivian tree lizards, which are eating the town's pigeons: Principal Skinner: Well, I was wrong. The lizards are a godsend. Lisa: But isn't that a bit short-sighted? What happens when we're overrun by lizards? Skinner: No problem. We simply release wave after wave of Chinese needle snakes. They'll wipe out the lizards. Lisa: But aren't the snakes even worse? Skinner: Yes, but we're prepared for that. We've lined up a fabulous type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat. Lisa: But then we're stuck with gorillas! Skinner: No, that's the beautiful part. When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death. [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiK7jcC1fY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuiK7jcC1fY