6 ms·

This is why I was concerned when I heard Google, of all companies, released lab grown mosquitos to wipe them out. I'm curious what happened with this effort. It

This is why I was concerned when I heard Google, of all companies, released lab grown mosquitos to wipe them out. I'm curious what happened with this effort. It's not exactly a vote of confidence when the other guy trying to do this is Bill Gates.

ransom1538 4y ago
"released lab grown mosquitos to wipe them out" Spoiler alert. We lose fish. All fresh water fish. Not as bad as fucking with bees. But a close second.
- pvaldes 3y ago
  bats and birds would suffer also
goda90 4y ago
Generally those efforts are targeted at disease carrying mosquitoes. There are other species of mosquitoes in the same regions and there aren't any animals that only eat one kind of mosquito.
- Brybry 4y ago
  To add to this, the disease carrying mosquito species like aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus are invasive species in the Americas. These mosquitoes do some pollination but given that they're invasive it probably wouldn't be a big deal to wipe them out. Also, invasiveness is true of a lot of pests in North America: the American cockroach isn't American, it's from Africa. Brown rats, red/fire ants, and wild pigs are also imported/invasive.
  - hidroto 4y ago
    a complication to eradicating a invasive species is when that species has replaced a native species ecological niche. getting rid of it at that point may cause more problems then it solves.
    - bryanlarsen 4y ago
      Luckily or unluckily depending on your perspective, there is no lack of other species of mosquitoes.
    - jabits 4y ago
      Not when you’re talking about wild pigs…
  - cbluth 4y ago
    I dunno, i think these pale in comparison to humans. Pot kettle black, and all that.
lostlogin 4y ago
The Gates’ have a pretty spectacular track record, what do you mean?
- bluSCALE4 4y ago
  Like buying up farmland an using GMOs.
  - lostlogin 4y ago
    I was more referring to their work with malaria. I suppose it’s up for debate how much good they have done, but the scales weigh petty clearly from where I sit.
  - debesyla 4y ago
    Just to make sure, are you saying that GMOs are somehow bad?
zabzonk 4y ago
> It's not exactly a vote of confidence when the other guy trying to do this is Bill Gates yeah, a super-villain trying to wipe out malaria - what is his cunning plan?
pvaldes 4y ago
History runs in circles. Everybody wants to be an hero, so they will refuse to see the danger or to understand that ecosystems don't grant a second try if you change something and regret it later. Mao died in 1976. Sparrows still remain extinct in most of China.
seesawtron 4y ago
Bill Gates foundation is also sponsoring GMOs in Africa. These include lab designed mosquitos that can be introduced in the existing population to eradicate mosquitos.

ransom1538 4y ago

"released lab grown mosquitos to wipe them out" Spoiler alert. We lose fish. All fresh water fish. Not as bad as fucking with bees. But a close second.

pvaldes 3y ago
bats and birds would suffer also

goda90 4y ago

Generally those efforts are targeted at disease carrying mosquitoes. There are other species of mosquitoes in the same regions and there aren't any animals that only eat one kind of mosquito.

Brybry 4y ago
To add to this, the disease carrying mosquito species like aedes aegypti and aedes albopictus are invasive species in the Americas. These mosquitoes do some pollination but given that they're invasive it probably wouldn't be a big deal to wipe them out. Also, invasiveness is true of a lot of pests in North America: the American cockroach isn't American, it's from Africa. Brown rats, red/fire ants, and wild pigs are also imported/invasive.
- hidroto 4y ago
  a complication to eradicating a invasive species is when that species has replaced a native species ecological niche. getting rid of it at that point may cause more problems then it solves.
  - bryanlarsen 4y ago
    Luckily or unluckily depending on your perspective, there is no lack of other species of mosquitoes.
  - jabits 4y ago
    Not when you’re talking about wild pigs…
- cbluth 4y ago
  I dunno, i think these pale in comparison to humans. Pot kettle black, and all that.

lostlogin 4y ago

The Gates’ have a pretty spectacular track record, what do you mean?

bluSCALE4 4y ago
Like buying up farmland an using GMOs.
- lostlogin 4y ago
  I was more referring to their work with malaria. I suppose it’s up for debate how much good they have done, but the scales weigh petty clearly from where I sit.
- debesyla 4y ago
  Just to make sure, are you saying that GMOs are somehow bad?

zabzonk 4y ago

> It's not exactly a vote of confidence when the other guy trying to do this is Bill Gates yeah, a super-villain trying to wipe out malaria - what is his cunning plan?

pvaldes 4y ago

History runs in circles. Everybody wants to be an hero, so they will refuse to see the danger or to understand that ecosystems don't grant a second try if you change something and regret it later. Mao died in 1976. Sparrows still remain extinct in most of China.

seesawtron 4y ago

Bill Gates foundation is also sponsoring GMOs in Africa. These include lab designed mosquitos that can be introduced in the existing population to eradicate mosquitos.