good, use it to thin out the brown people, wipe hands...job done.

Captain Trips, here we come. Fortunately, I already own a place in Vegas spitting distance from the (former) MGM Grand (now Bally's). That's where all the cool stuff will be happening.

dahmers love zombie,
Um, does it occur to anyone that the bioterrorist with a lab capable of doing said research might have someone who could also be working on the same thing? And that if this paper is published, other scientists may have the ability to work on a way to fight it?
It's rarely ever a good thing to hide knowledge.

In principle I don't disagree with you. I am tired of people freaking out that nuclear bomb plans, machine gun plans or books written by pedofiles should be banned. The knowledge is already out there and keeping it supressed to the general public does little good. The more people know it is out there, the more the truth can appreciated.

However there are some nation-states out there are out to weaponize whatever they can and they do have access to expensive machines that can splice DNA. Giving them the directions on how to do it sounds like a really, really bad idea.

Sort of like the start of 'The Stand'.

"Science isn't about 'Why,' it's about 'Why not.'"

Shostie: "SCIENCE! We're all about coulda, not shoulda."

-Patton Oswalt

"These scientists spent so much time thinking they could do something that the line to your mom was, um, well there it is...!"

-Ian Malcom

Must be time to ratchet up the fear again.

Gotta keep Americans on that razor's edge all day erry day.

Mentalpatient87
"Science isn't about 'Why,' it's about 'Why not.'"

when I read some of the science related stories here, I think they really are just throwing science at the wall and seeing what sticks.....

lohphat: I wonder how far behind these guys are?

Flu breakthrough promises a vaccine to kill all strains -- British team's success with jab that targets proteins common to every type of flu virus (new window)

That would be great if I didn't run into half-educated morons on a daily basis who won't take flu shots because they're afraid it will make them sick, even after it is explained to them that that is essentially impossible, If we made a vaccine like that, I think there is a good chance that it would be useless within a couple of years because a gaggle of undereducated rednecks think that catching a potentially deadly virus is better than getting a farking shot. We are so screwed.

Lets all sit back and watch humanity stick our collective fingers into the electrical socket.

"Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

Did it occur to you that if the paper is published it will ensure that bioterrorist will have the capability immediately, rather than having "workin' on it!" status?

Since the article said that it only took 5 mutations to get there, there is a good chance it could develop this mutation on it's own. If we do it and publish, we can have a vaccine for it, and the knowledge on how to make the vaccine will be widely spread. If we don't publish and bio-terrorists get their hands on it, we are screwed.

JonnyBGoode: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

[konaskorner.com image 640x353]

Oh really. And this coming from a guy who turned himself into a giant fly. Sheesh, the nerve of some people.

But isn't it time we started weeding out the H5N1 susceptible phenotype anyway? Those motherfarkers and their commonly known stereotypes really piss me off!

Loucifer: approves

[2.bp.blogspot.com image 329x244]

Damn, got there before me.

dahmers love zombie: Um, does it occur to anyone that the bioterrorist with a lab capable of doing said research might have someone who could also be working on the same thing? And that if this paper is published, other scientists may have the ability to work on a way to fight it?

It's rarely ever a good thing to hide knowledge.

*blink*

Seems that the thing evolved they didn't put the mutations in.Now they know themechanisms that turn it from not contagiousto contagious.

This wasn't a "oh let's put genes in and make it contagious" experiment

Approves.

Scientist changes H5N1 from being lethal to being lethal and highly contagious.

Which is to say, not very lethal at all yet. Plus, in diseases, highly contagious and highly lethal usually cancel each other out after a few generations.

Why not make lassa fever, or the Ebola virus more virulent and deadly?

Or HIV? That seems to be less scary these days - how about HIV2.0 - all the fun of AIDS but it kills you quicker.

JonnyBGoode: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

[konaskorner.com image 640x353]

Life...uhhh....uhhh.....uhhhhhhhhhhh.......finds a way.



/farkin hate that guy

Coming on a Bicycle: Plus, in diseases, highly contagious and highly lethal usually cancel each other out after a few generations.

I'm guessing a significant proportion of the population would be killed off by the virus before any selective pressure for it to ramp down its virulence had kicked in. This could happen in a couple of years, let alone "a few generations".

tardigrade: Coming on a Bicycle: Plus, in diseases, highly contagious and highly lethal usually cancel each other out after a few generations.

I'm guessing a significant proportion of the population would be killed off by the virus before any selective pressure for it to ramp down its virulence had kicked in. This could happen in a couple of years, let alone "a few generations".

I meant a few generations of the virus.

Mentalpatient87: "Science isn't about 'Why,' it's about 'Why not.'"

pedobearapproved: SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING!

Came for these, leaving satisfied.

Coming on a Bicycle: tardigrade: Coming on a Bicycle: Plus, in diseases, highly contagious and highly lethal usually cancel each other out after a few generations.

I'm guessing a significant proportion of the population would be killed off by the virus before any selective pressure for it to ramp down its virulence had kicked in. This could happen in a couple of years, let alone "a few generations".

I meant a few generations of the virus.

What would need to happen is that the virulent strains of the virus find themselves surrounded by fewer susceptible hosts than the lower-virulence strains generated by mutation. That's the timescale of human demography, not viral generations. Yes, the virus could mediate massive changes in human demography (that is, kill a very large proportion of the population) in a very short time. But if so, we should be worried about the virus, rather than not worried about the virus.

Mentalpatient87: [images.wikia.com image 385x570]
"Science isn't about 'Why,' it's about 'Why not.'"

"Cave Johnson... we're done here."

Holy cow, if they ever weaponize porn I'm doomed!

Shostie: "SCIENCE! We're all about coulda, not shoulda."

-Patton Oswalt

"Hey, we made cancer airborne and contagious! You're welcome!"

We're being given a teaser on the story "How Mankind Finally Offed Itself." We now have the ability to mutate existing diseases and make them capable of killing large numbers of people. It won't be long before we can create disease that can kill most people. Not longer that, we'll come up with a disease that can kill literally everyone.

The clock then starts ticking until someone decides to go ahead and release it; or else one of us clumsy primates will release it accidentally.

Tick tock.

MaxAwesome: JonnyBGoode: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn't stop to think if they should."

[konaskorner.com image 640x353]

Life...uhhh....uhhh.....uhhhhhhhhhhh.......finds a way.

/farkin hate that guy

Yeah, he got me rooting for the T-Rex.

/BTW, you failed me, T-rex. You're dead to me, now.
//Well, extinct, I suppose...

Kibbler: We're being given a teaser on the story "How Mankind Finally Offed Itself." We now have the ability to mutate existing diseases and make them capable of killing large numbers of people. It won't be long before we can create disease that can kill most people. Not longer that, we'll come up with a disease that can kill literally everyone.

The clock then starts ticking until someone decides to go ahead and release it; or else one of us clumsy primates will release it accidentally.

Tick tock.

They'll release one when it can be targeted genetically

This planet is doomed unless a massive die off occurs soon. I, personally, prefer an epidemic to a war.

Enemabag Jones: However there are some nation-states out there are out to weaponize whatever they can and they do have access to expensive machines that can splice DNA.

Some people view the USA as a threat or supplier of such things...

Enemabag Jones: In principle I don't disagree with you. I am tired of people freaking out that nuclear bomb plans, machine gun plans or books written by pedofiles should be banned. The knowledge is already out there and keeping it supressed to the general public does little good. The more people know it is out there, the more the truth can appreciated.

However there are some nation-states out there are out to weaponize whatever they can and they do have access to expensive machines that can splice DNA. Giving them the directions on how to do it sounds like a really, really bad idea.

Is it wrong of me that I now want to see a terrorist nation-state weaponize a book written by a pedophile?