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Imagine if dirty needles started flying around randomly targeting children. It constantly shocks me that mosquito eradication is controversial, let alone not on

Imagine if dirty needles started flying around randomly targeting children. It constantly shocks me that mosquito eradication is controversial, let alone not one of the highest priorities of society.

fguerraz 5y ago
OMG children! Therefore we must do something.
- droopyEyelids 5y ago
  Ok.. do something, do something... how about we use cutting edge genetic modification technology to eliminate categories of life from the biosphere? Then afterwards we can talk about ethical implications and deal with unexpected consequences as the technology proliferates
  - asddubs 5y ago
    we've accidentally killed so many species, can't we just do this one single one on purpose
    - iLemming 5y ago
      We still don't know enough about mosquitos to the point that we could "surgically" remove specifically those that bite humans. Remember, there are over 3000 known species of mosquito. Imagine if some alien race was like: "we need to kill all humans", and then proceed and eradicate all the apes and monkeys as well?
      - yyyk 5y ago
        >We still don't know enough about mosquitos to the point that we could "surgically" remove specifically those that bite humans. We know enough to do just that - surgical removal is exactly what the gene drive solutions do. Even if we didn't, mosquitos are minor compared to the species being killed merely for profit. >Imagine if some alien race was like: "we need to kill all humans", and then proceed and eradicate all the apes and monkeys as well? I'd be a bit more concerned about the human part. I don't think I'll be available to care about the apes and monkeys. (Besides, the aliens are just being thorough and rational, and decided to make sure that we don't get evolved again. +1 for the alien team).
        iLemming 5y ago
        > We know enough to do just that - surgical removal is exactly what the gene drive solutions do. We still don't know the long-term implications of CRISPR applications on the entire species. However, it's already underway. Scientists are doing it and studying them in a lab setting. There's hope.
wintermutestwin 5y ago
It seems like eradication is a blunt instrument approach to the problem. We know that some people are much more likely to get bit. How can it be so hard to determine the differing factor?? To your point (and ignoring the extreme solution), why have we not put the requisite energy towards solving this problem?
froggy 5y ago
Mosquitos are part of the food chain and a LOT of animals (reptiles, birds, spiders, bats, etc) depend on them. Eradication is an extreme solution with extreme consequences.
iLemming 5y ago
There are over three thousand known species of mosquito. And only just a few of them specialized in biting humans. From the planet's point of view, none of us (including our children) are that important or even special. Eradicating all mosquitos would have much bigger consequences for the planet and perhaps would be worse than the sudden disappearance of 90% of all humans.
jcims 5y ago
Imagine if the human immune system had evolved to require small innoculations of pathogens to develop antibodies in preparation for larger infectious infiltrations down the line.
yyyk 5y ago
We in the West eradicated entire ecosystems in order to get rid of Malaria. Eradication is only controversial when most of the victims are in the third world. Some people's attitude is that these people (poor, far away, 'wrong' skin colour, etc.) might as well die for our beloved Nature.
steve_adams_86 5y ago
On the other hand, it shocks me that people are so eager to manipulate the environment by disposing of a key species in the food web. I get the arguments for both sides. I’d like less people to die from mosquitoes as well. I’d also like bats, fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, etc to have an abundant source of food.

Imagine if dirty needles started flying around randomly targeting children. It constantly shocks me that mosquito eradication is controversial, let alone not one of the highest priorities of society.

fguerraz 5y ago

OMG children! Therefore we must do something.

droopyEyelids 5y ago
Ok.. do something, do something... how about we use cutting edge genetic modification technology to eliminate categories of life from the biosphere? Then afterwards we can talk about ethical implications and deal with unexpected consequences as the technology proliferates
- asddubs 5y ago
  we've accidentally killed so many species, can't we just do this one single one on purpose
  - iLemming 5y ago
    We still don't know enough about mosquitos to the point that we could "surgically" remove specifically those that bite humans. Remember, there are over 3000 known species of mosquito. Imagine if some alien race was like: "we need to kill all humans", and then proceed and eradicate all the apes and monkeys as well?
    - yyyk 5y ago
      >We still don't know enough about mosquitos to the point that we could "surgically" remove specifically those that bite humans. We know enough to do just that - surgical removal is exactly what the gene drive solutions do. Even if we didn't, mosquitos are minor compared to the species being killed merely for profit. >Imagine if some alien race was like: "we need to kill all humans", and then proceed and eradicate all the apes and monkeys as well? I'd be a bit more concerned about the human part. I don't think I'll be available to care about the apes and monkeys. (Besides, the aliens are just being thorough and rational, and decided to make sure that we don't get evolved again. +1 for the alien team).
      - iLemming 5y ago
        > We know enough to do just that - surgical removal is exactly what the gene drive solutions do. We still don't know the long-term implications of CRISPR applications on the entire species. However, it's already underway. Scientists are doing it and studying them in a lab setting. There's hope.

wintermutestwin 5y ago

It seems like eradication is a blunt instrument approach to the problem. We know that some people are much more likely to get bit. How can it be so hard to determine the differing factor?? To your point (and ignoring the extreme solution), why have we not put the requisite energy towards solving this problem?

froggy 5y ago

Mosquitos are part of the food chain and a LOT of animals (reptiles, birds, spiders, bats, etc) depend on them. Eradication is an extreme solution with extreme consequences.

iLemming 5y ago

There are over three thousand known species of mosquito. And only just a few of them specialized in biting humans. From the planet's point of view, none of us (including our children) are that important or even special. Eradicating all mosquitos would have much bigger consequences for the planet and perhaps would be worse than the sudden disappearance of 90% of all humans.

jcims 5y ago

Imagine if the human immune system had evolved to require small innoculations of pathogens to develop antibodies in preparation for larger infectious infiltrations down the line.

yyyk 5y ago

We in the West eradicated entire ecosystems in order to get rid of Malaria. Eradication is only controversial when most of the victims are in the third world. Some people's attitude is that these people (poor, far away, 'wrong' skin colour, etc.) might as well die for our beloved Nature.

steve_adams_86 5y ago

On the other hand, it shocks me that people are so eager to manipulate the environment by disposing of a key species in the food web. I get the arguments for both sides. I’d like less people to die from mosquitoes as well. I’d also like bats, fish, amphibians, birds, reptiles, etc to have an abundant source of food.