5 ms·

I think if anything COVID has shown us that biological warfare makes as much sense as nuclear: none. In our globally connected world it's mutually assured destr

by orlp 4y ago

I think if anything COVID has shown us that biological warfare makes as much sense as nuclear: none. In our globally connected world it's mutually assured destruction, and that's without even the need for your enemy to maintain stockpiles of weapons. The virus will find itself within your own borders soon enough.

scotteric 4y ago
It still makes sense for things like anthrax that aren't easily communicable. Or botulinum toxin.
- orlp 4y ago
  Fair enough, I meant viral biowarfare.
  - cjbgkagh 4y ago
    I should point out that some viruses are not easily transmissible either.
nradov 4y ago
Terrorists motivated by religion or ideology sometimes use tactics and weapons that make no sense to rational people. The Aum Shinrikyo cult was developing biological weapons.
- jcranmer 4y ago
  > The Aum Shinrikyo cult was developing biological weapons. Sarin would be classed as chemical, not biological. It's also worth illustrating that their primary terrorist act killed 15 people, after releasing sarin on 5 different trains during Tokyo's busy rush hour. You would have been more effective just lobbing a single grenade.
  - nradov 4y ago
    The cult used a chemical weapon. They were also developing biological weapons based on botulism and anthrax at the same time but fortunately didn't get a chance to use those.
    - tptacek 4y ago
      The same thing they just said about sarin vs. a grenade, you can say about anthrax vs. a grenade.
tomp 4y ago
Only bad viruses. Good viruses will be genetically coded to only harm a particular subgroup.
- alchemist1e9 4y ago
  I was thinking that actually gives the United States a distinct advantage in such (hypothetical) biological warfare, it has the most diverse gene pool on the planet.
  - Thiez 4y ago
    That seems unlikely, I would expect most African countries to beat the US easily.
- bsder 4y ago
  Until they mutate. It is beneficial to the survival of a virus to infect the largest group that it can. A virus targeted to a small group of people has a large "survival benefit" the moment it can mutate to infect everybody. In addition, it's really hard to target a biological entity at a specific subgroup of humans. From a biological standpoint, all humans are damn near identical.
  - midoridensha 4y ago
    You share 50% of your DNA with a banana.
sofixa 4y ago
> The virus will find itself within your own borders soon enough. Depends on the virus - something with the long incubating periods and frequent lack of symptoms like Covid yes, but something much more quick and deadly (say, Ebola, even though 2-21 days is still potentially slow) could result in quick mass deaths without the opportunity to spread it around.

by orlp 4y ago

scotteric 4y ago

It still makes sense for things like anthrax that aren't easily communicable. Or botulinum toxin.

orlp 4y ago
Fair enough, I meant viral biowarfare.
- cjbgkagh 4y ago
  I should point out that some viruses are not easily transmissible either.

nradov 4y ago

Terrorists motivated by religion or ideology sometimes use tactics and weapons that make no sense to rational people. The Aum Shinrikyo cult was developing biological weapons.

jcranmer 4y ago
> The Aum Shinrikyo cult was developing biological weapons. Sarin would be classed as chemical, not biological. It's also worth illustrating that their primary terrorist act killed 15 people, after releasing sarin on 5 different trains during Tokyo's busy rush hour. You would have been more effective just lobbing a single grenade.
- nradov 4y ago
  The cult used a chemical weapon. They were also developing biological weapons based on botulism and anthrax at the same time but fortunately didn't get a chance to use those.
  - tptacek 4y ago
    The same thing they just said about sarin vs. a grenade, you can say about anthrax vs. a grenade.

tomp 4y ago

Only bad viruses. Good viruses will be genetically coded to only harm a particular subgroup.

alchemist1e9 4y ago
I was thinking that actually gives the United States a distinct advantage in such (hypothetical) biological warfare, it has the most diverse gene pool on the planet.
- Thiez 4y ago
  That seems unlikely, I would expect most African countries to beat the US easily.
bsder 4y ago
Until they mutate. It is beneficial to the survival of a virus to infect the largest group that it can. A virus targeted to a small group of people has a large "survival benefit" the moment it can mutate to infect everybody. In addition, it's really hard to target a biological entity at a specific subgroup of humans. From a biological standpoint, all humans are damn near identical.
- midoridensha 4y ago
  You share 50% of your DNA with a banana.

sofixa 4y ago

> The virus will find itself within your own borders soon enough. Depends on the virus - something with the long incubating periods and frequent lack of symptoms like Covid yes, but something much more quick and deadly (say, Ebola, even though 2-21 days is still potentially slow) could result in quick mass deaths without the opportunity to spread it around.