Causing famine...there is no 'win' here. I think they are trying to do something good here, but sometimes, there is no positive end game.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Breed of genetically modified mosquitoes released cripples its own offspring
- Thread starter Salvor.Hardin
- Start date
- Status
Causing famine...there is no 'win' here. I think they are trying to do something good here, but sometimes, there is no positive end game.
Thagomizer
Member
This doesn't really count, though, because no species relies on us as a food source, and those that we rely on will either go feral or die out if they can't adapt to living without constant human care.
Nuclear plant melt downs?
Fallout-NL
Member
Yup.
This.
Except the four billion inapt domestic cows, and millions of other domestic farm animals and pets that can't survive in a proper wild world.
Not that it won't recover, but the ecosystem will recover from anything with enough time.
There are a couple of fairly interesting documentaries about that exact thing. "Life After People" and "Aftermath". They're nearly identical.
I'm sorry, you did what?
I uhh.. wouldn't worry about it too much Ian because uhh.. if the history of evolution has taught us anything it's that uhhh... life uhh.. finds a way.
parrotbeak
Member
Mosquitoes are also a relatively new vector for diseases for both humans and animals. Globalization has spread them into parts of the world that had never dealt with mosquitoes before. Hawaii for one didn't have them until westerners came.
Bees on the other hand have become one of the main pollinators for many plants, including ones we depend on for food.
Bees on the other hand have become one of the main pollinators for many plants, including ones we depend on for food.
Nemesis121
Member
And some how in Nature this breed will adapt and have offsprings that can carry the Aids virus.
Cow Mengde
Banned
Most of your pets are more adapt at surviving than we are. Hell, most animals are more adapted to surviving than we are.
scar tissue
Banned
Mosquitoes filled with Blood are a vital Source of Protein for Small birds (and presumably bats)
This is highly irresponsible, they should Stick to those laser turrets that kill modquitoes around towns
Funky capitalization in this post courtesey of my iPhone
Something Wicked
Member
So I can drunkenly pass out by the fire during the summer and not have my face and legs covered in mosquito bites? All right, so let's do it.
-picture-MOV_8f5cabd7_b.jpg)
weekend_warrior
Banned
Science!
SteveWinwood
Member
I like how ThoseDeafMutes is Mr. Science and everything but didn't know that only female mosquitos bite. I'm not calling you out or anything, I just thought it was funny.
We'll probably die in droves because we refuse to eat insects.
Insects are suprisingly edible.
Without going back to reread everything, I think the point of confusion is that he didn't realise that it was only the female mosquitos effected by this genetic engineering, not that only female mosquitos bite.
UnblessedSoul
Member
If anything they need increasing, to help put a dent in population levels
CrunchyFrog
Member
I uhh.. wouldn't worry about it too much Ian because uhh.. if the history of evolution has taught us anything it's that uhhh... life uhh.. finds a way.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZHh9ckRC6M&feature=player_embedded
Rocket Punch
Member
SUPER MOSQUITOES YAY!
That's 3501 too many species of mosquitos
Insane Metal
Member
Kill'em all. Fuck that shit.
I don't have a problem with trying to wipe out the mosquito species, I seriously hate those bastards.
I am however worried about something going slightly wrong and this all blowing up in our faces big time. Like someone mentioned, they evolve and end up carrying some super virus that kills millions of people.
It probably wont be an asteroid or nuclear war or whatever that wipes us out, it'll be something small and stupid like this. fucking mosquitos!
I am however worried about something going slightly wrong and this all blowing up in our faces big time. Like someone mentioned, they evolve and end up carrying some super virus that kills millions of people.
It probably wont be an asteroid or nuclear war or whatever that wipes us out, it'll be something small and stupid like this. fucking mosquitos!
Chittagong
Gold Member
Who would take all the dogs out though? Or feed and cuddle them. Just sayin.
Yeah, fuck them mexicans!
Here is the thing about a world with seven billion people in it: Not all of them need to be focused on the single biggest problem at once.
We don't need seven billion people focused on solving population problems.
We don't need seven billion people focused on curing cancer.
We don't need seven billion people focused on stopping proliferation of WMDs.
We don't need seven billion people focused on producing cheap, clean energy.
In fact, with seven billion people, we can focus tens of thousands of people on each of those problems and still have enough people around to grow our crops, cut our hair, host our video game message boards, and yes, even try to slow the spread of deadly blood-borne diseases by killing mosquitoes.
Interesting stuff, I am actually a bit familiar some of the technology they used. Definitely works as advertised, as long as you can breed the right knockin gene. Sounds like they're using GFP and maybe DSRed for imaging. Using tetracycline to block certain proteins have been all the rage recently in transgenics.
TouchMyBox
Member
So wait, you love mosquitos, flies, etc.?
I expect some type of mutation and these mosquito will turn into cyber mosquito. You know it will happen.
scar tissue
Banned
As I already mentioned, I'm pretty sure that mosquitoes gorged on blood are a vital source of protein for small passerine birds, especially when rearing young. They contain more protein per gram than all (?) other insects.
And when has any good ever come from fucking with nature?
Remember the cane toad? The brown tree snake in Guam? Cats & dogs in New Zealand?
And that was without genetically modifying anything.
Keep the fuck out of intact ecosystems you selfish fucks.
themustardman
Member
I've seen studies saying removing mosquitoes from the food chain would have negligible impact. I'll see if I can find them.
Science requires more food for the fireplace before it can begin work on decreasing the surplus population.
fabricated backlash
Member
I guess that's what people fail to realize. Mosquitos in many regions are a plague not only for humans but for lifestock as well. We aren't talking about the occasional mosquito that sucks from time to time. We're talking clouds of these motherfuckers.
There is really no natural predator to keep their population in check and diminishing their numbers by incapacitating future females is actually a great idea.
Like others have said, this isn't a terminal solution at all. Neither has it any prospect of eradicating Mosquitos for good, but it will hopefully help to decrease their numbers for good.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Locked