5 ms·

Just use an oscillating fan. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/science/a-low-tech-mosquito-deterrent.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/science/a-low-tech-

Just use an oscillating fan. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/science/a-low-tech-mosquito-deterrent.html http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/16/science/a-low-tech-mosquit... It's also worth noting that previous attempts at preventing malaria in Africa have failed not because of any technological limitation, but because they view it completely differently than we do in the West. > As medical anthropologists have consistently found, because malaria is so common in much of sub-Saharan Africa, and because the overwhelming majority of cases go away on their own, most rural Africans consider malaria a minor ailment, the way that Westerners might think of the cold or flu. http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/02/opinion/la-oe-shah-20100502 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/02/opinion/la-oe-shah-2...

ams6110 13y ago
Rather hard to carry an oscillating fan around with you at all times.
- knowaveragejoe 13y ago
  You could just make your own(very effective) trap with household ingredients: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22399231.tip.html http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22399231.tip.html
  - tzs 13y ago
    That was interesting, except I don't understand why it calls for a candy thermometer when the highest temperature you are asked to measure is 90 F. The first temperature where sugar does something interesting in candy making is 230 F, and so many candy thermometers don't even go down to 90 F.
  - veemjeem 13y ago
    Still, a square piece of plastic is still more portable than carrying around a 2 liter bottle full of fermenting yeast. I'm not about to strap that to my backpack when I go hiking.
victorology 13y ago
A fan. Seems totally logical and wondering why I didn't think of this myself. Also, why is this not more common knowledge?
- eps 13y ago
  Do you know that fans sold in many Asian countries have mandatory automatic shutoff timers? This is due to a deep-rooted and very resilient urban legend that a running fan causes hypothermia in people who sleep in the same room with it and that people die because of that.
  - kragen 13y ago
    Not hypothermia, but "fan death", and it turns out to be true: http://askakorean.blogspot.com.ar/2009/01/fan-death-is-real.html http://askakorean.blogspot.com.ar/2009/01/fan-death-is-real....
    - CamperBob2 13y ago
      Ridiculous. The fan would not do anything that a light bulb of equivalent wattage wouldn't also do. Someone who asserts that fans can kill people is making an extraordinary claim, and needs to supply extraordinary proof, such as citing a verifiable case where it happened.
      - kragen 13y ago
        It sounds like you haven't read the post I linked to, which explains what fans do that light bulbs don't, cites verifiable cases, and explains the theory. Your comment, of course, is ridiculous. If a fan didn't do anything a lightbulb didn't do, then why would people buy fans? Lightbulbs are much cheaper!
        calebegg 13y ago
        The linked post is long and rambles a bit, and I only skimmed it, but I've come up empty handed on any actual cases of someone dying from a fan in a closed room, due to heat stress or any other reason. The citations seem to be an EPA pamphlet and an NPR interview, both of which are far from saying that the fans will kill you, and neither of which are “verifiable cases”, or even anything resembling that.
WestCoastJustin 13y ago
This was discussed on HN last week [1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6051856 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6051856
znowi 13y ago
> http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/02/opinion/la-oe-shah-20100502 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/02/opinion/la-oe-shah-2... This is a revealing article. I somehow didn't think about, now rather obvious, cultural difference in perception of malaria. I also didn't know that "the overwhelming majority of cases go away on their own". I thought of malaria as a certain death without treatment. The treated nets did, however, have technological issues, as pointed in the article: "Among other design flaws, their tight mesh blocks ventilation, a serious problem in the hot, humid places where malaria roosts". Kite patch is simple enough to actually make it work. I just hope it is indeed effective.
- MarkMc 13y ago
  Wait a minute - maybe we are being too sensitive to cultural differences here. Do we just accept the culture of sub-Sarahran Africa as equally valid to our own in this case? Do we just accept that Africans don't like using bed nets and so we must discount that approach and look for alternative ways to combat malaria? Let's not pussy-foot around the issue. The LA Times article mentions that some African people think that mangoes cause malaria - in this case the African view is wrong and the Western view is right. Perhaps it is also wrong to hold the view that (a) malaria is no more harmful than the flu; and (b) having ventilation is preferable to a bed net. I realise that changing people's attitudes is difficult, particularly when the message is delivered by white people who have such a poor historical record in Africa. But malaria causes a quarter of childhood deaths in sub-Saharan Africa [1] and insecticide-treated bed nets are 90-95+% effective, even when they have small holes [2]. I'm not saying that Western culture is always right - or even right when it comes to malaria. Lets just be careful to avoid automatically excluding other cultural viewpoints from criticism. [1] http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60169-X/fulltext http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-67... [2] http://www.againstmalaria.com/faq_bednets.aspx http://www.againstmalaria.com/faq_bednets.aspx
  - mattlutze 13y ago
    The question here, I imagine, is not primarily one of the validity of the various viewpoints. Rather, it is commentary that someone solving the problem of malaria has to accept the reality of the sub-Saharan African viewpoint as a starting point for their approach. Foundationally, the local populations aren't clamouring for a solution, so they are much less likely to accept inconvenience as a by-product of a solution. We know rhinovirus and flu kill scores of elderly people in nursing homes, but continue to avoid the minor inconvenience of meticulous hygiene before visiting our geriatric loved ones. In risk communication, we might say "the audience will be hostile toward our rhetoric". Put another way, the target population will require careful encouragement to changing their viewpoint, while being presented with a solution that does not operate from a confrontational approach. Any solution that does not consider the local populations' viewpoints will likely fail.
carlesfe 13y ago
I tried the oscillating fan stuff, and got bitten three times in a couple of hours. Guess there are some mosquitoes which can actually fly over a fan's currents. Local hint: in Spain, we are being invaded by the tiger mosquito[1], which is faster, stronger, and stealthier than regular mosquitoes. They don't care about oscillating fans. So don't trust the fan thingy. I would recommend DEET-based repellents or Autan, which contains Icaridin[2] and has never failed me. I've seen those fuckers hover my legs in rage, unable to land and bite me. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus [2] http://www.scjohnson.co.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_name=Autan.uk-FAQ#Q353 http://www.scjohnson.co.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_name=Autan.uk-FAQ...
- SiVal 13y ago
  That same species is just now invading Silicon Valley: http://belmont-ca.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/deadly-asian-tiger-mosquito-approaching-bay-area-a98fc3e4 http://belmont-ca.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/deadly-as...
  - carlesfe 13y ago
    Sorry man, you'd better start preparing. Its saliva causes infection in a large number of individuals, the marks last for 7-14 days[1], and itches as if your leg is on fire. The only remedy is to apply heat[2] and wait for your body to get used to it. The worst part is that you have to change habits, never lean outdoors if there are mosquitoes, you can't stop have a nice conversation with people on the street without getting your legs bitten, because those fuckers are fast. Even cafe terraces have to install mosquito repellents, because people stop staying outdoors. In Spain, most houses have an outdoor patio, but people don't use it anymore. It is nice being outside, but the tradeoff is a week of really, really itchy legs (and a possible infection) It's not fatal, but the pain is way higher than a regular mosquito bite, and it makes you paranoid whenever you are outdoors. God I hate them. PS: always apply a repellent on your skin before going out [1] http://www.azbowserfamily.com/images/72907mosquito.jpg http://www.azbowserfamily.com/images/72907mosquito.jpg [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257884/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257884/ (however, I just dip a spoon on hot water and apply it against the bite for some seconds)

ams6110 13y ago

Rather hard to carry an oscillating fan around with you at all times.

knowaveragejoe 13y ago
You could just make your own(very effective) trap with household ingredients: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22399231.tip.html http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22399231.tip.html
- tzs 13y ago
  That was interesting, except I don't understand why it calls for a candy thermometer when the highest temperature you are asked to measure is 90 F. The first temperature where sugar does something interesting in candy making is 230 F, and so many candy thermometers don't even go down to 90 F.
- veemjeem 13y ago
  Still, a square piece of plastic is still more portable than carrying around a 2 liter bottle full of fermenting yeast. I'm not about to strap that to my backpack when I go hiking.

victorology 13y ago

A fan. Seems totally logical and wondering why I didn't think of this myself. Also, why is this not more common knowledge?

eps 13y ago
Do you know that fans sold in many Asian countries have mandatory automatic shutoff timers? This is due to a deep-rooted and very resilient urban legend that a running fan causes hypothermia in people who sleep in the same room with it and that people die because of that.
- kragen 13y ago
  Not hypothermia, but "fan death", and it turns out to be true: http://askakorean.blogspot.com.ar/2009/01/fan-death-is-real.html http://askakorean.blogspot.com.ar/2009/01/fan-death-is-real....
  - CamperBob2 13y ago
    Ridiculous. The fan would not do anything that a light bulb of equivalent wattage wouldn't also do. Someone who asserts that fans can kill people is making an extraordinary claim, and needs to supply extraordinary proof, such as citing a verifiable case where it happened.
    - kragen 13y ago
      It sounds like you haven't read the post I linked to, which explains what fans do that light bulbs don't, cites verifiable cases, and explains the theory. Your comment, of course, is ridiculous. If a fan didn't do anything a lightbulb didn't do, then why would people buy fans? Lightbulbs are much cheaper!
      - calebegg 13y ago
        The linked post is long and rambles a bit, and I only skimmed it, but I've come up empty handed on any actual cases of someone dying from a fan in a closed room, due to heat stress or any other reason. The citations seem to be an EPA pamphlet and an NPR interview, both of which are far from saying that the fans will kill you, and neither of which are “verifiable cases”, or even anything resembling that.

WestCoastJustin 13y ago

This was discussed on HN last week [1]. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6051856 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6051856

znowi 13y ago

> http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/02/opinion/la-oe-shah-20100502 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/02/opinion/la-oe-shah-2... This is a revealing article. I somehow didn't think about, now rather obvious, cultural difference in perception of malaria. I also didn't know that "the overwhelming majority of cases go away on their own". I thought of malaria as a certain death without treatment. The treated nets did, however, have technological issues, as pointed in the article: "Among other design flaws, their tight mesh blocks ventilation, a serious problem in the hot, humid places where malaria roosts". Kite patch is simple enough to actually make it work. I just hope it is indeed effective.

MarkMc 13y ago
Wait a minute - maybe we are being too sensitive to cultural differences here. Do we just accept the culture of sub-Sarahran Africa as equally valid to our own in this case? Do we just accept that Africans don't like using bed nets and so we must discount that approach and look for alternative ways to combat malaria? Let's not pussy-foot around the issue. The LA Times article mentions that some African people think that mangoes cause malaria - in this case the African view is wrong and the Western view is right. Perhaps it is also wrong to hold the view that (a) malaria is no more harmful than the flu; and (b) having ventilation is preferable to a bed net. I realise that changing people's attitudes is difficult, particularly when the message is delivered by white people who have such a poor historical record in Africa. But malaria causes a quarter of childhood deaths in sub-Saharan Africa [1] and insecticide-treated bed nets are 90-95+% effective, even when they have small holes [2]. I'm not saying that Western culture is always right - or even right when it comes to malaria. Lets just be careful to avoid automatically excluding other cultural viewpoints from criticism. [1] http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)60169-X/fulltext http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-67... [2] http://www.againstmalaria.com/faq_bednets.aspx http://www.againstmalaria.com/faq_bednets.aspx
- mattlutze 13y ago
  The question here, I imagine, is not primarily one of the validity of the various viewpoints. Rather, it is commentary that someone solving the problem of malaria has to accept the reality of the sub-Saharan African viewpoint as a starting point for their approach. Foundationally, the local populations aren't clamouring for a solution, so they are much less likely to accept inconvenience as a by-product of a solution. We know rhinovirus and flu kill scores of elderly people in nursing homes, but continue to avoid the minor inconvenience of meticulous hygiene before visiting our geriatric loved ones. In risk communication, we might say "the audience will be hostile toward our rhetoric". Put another way, the target population will require careful encouragement to changing their viewpoint, while being presented with a solution that does not operate from a confrontational approach. Any solution that does not consider the local populations' viewpoints will likely fail.

carlesfe 13y ago

I tried the oscillating fan stuff, and got bitten three times in a couple of hours. Guess there are some mosquitoes which can actually fly over a fan's currents. Local hint: in Spain, we are being invaded by the tiger mosquito[1], which is faster, stronger, and stealthier than regular mosquitoes. They don't care about oscillating fans. So don't trust the fan thingy. I would recommend DEET-based repellents or Autan, which contains Icaridin[2] and has never failed me. I've seen those fuckers hover my legs in rage, unable to land and bite me. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus [2] http://www.scjohnson.co.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_name=Autan.uk-FAQ#Q353 http://www.scjohnson.co.uk/nqcontent.cfm?a_name=Autan.uk-FAQ...

SiVal 13y ago
That same species is just now invading Silicon Valley: http://belmont-ca.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/deadly-asian-tiger-mosquito-approaching-bay-area-a98fc3e4 http://belmont-ca.patch.com/groups/editors-picks/p/deadly-as...
- carlesfe 13y ago
  Sorry man, you'd better start preparing. Its saliva causes infection in a large number of individuals, the marks last for 7-14 days[1], and itches as if your leg is on fire. The only remedy is to apply heat[2] and wait for your body to get used to it. The worst part is that you have to change habits, never lean outdoors if there are mosquitoes, you can't stop have a nice conversation with people on the street without getting your legs bitten, because those fuckers are fast. Even cafe terraces have to install mosquito repellents, because people stop staying outdoors. In Spain, most houses have an outdoor patio, but people don't use it anymore. It is nice being outside, but the tradeoff is a week of really, really itchy legs (and a possible infection) It's not fatal, but the pain is way higher than a regular mosquito bite, and it makes you paranoid whenever you are outdoors. God I hate them. PS: always apply a repellent on your skin before going out [1] http://www.azbowserfamily.com/images/72907mosquito.jpg http://www.azbowserfamily.com/images/72907mosquito.jpg [2] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257884/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257884/ (however, I just dip a spoon on hot water and apply it against the bite for some seconds)