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originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn
a reply to: HawkEyi
They keep saying "Follow the science." What they really mean is, just believe what limited information we provide you, and don't for one second, think beyond what we tell you.
Viruses mutate for a reason. Mutations can be favorable, deleterious, or neutral.
If given the choice to magically wave a wand and cause all viruses to disappear, most people would probably jump at that opportunity, especially now. Yet this would be a deadly mistake – deadlier, in fact, than any virus could ever be.
“If all viruses suddenly disappeared, the world would be a wonderful place for about a day and a half, and then we’d all die – that’s the bottom line,” says Tony Goldberg, an epidemiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “All the essential things they do in the world far outweigh the bad things.”
The vast majority of viruses are not pathogenic to humans, and many play integral roles in propping up ecosystems. Others maintain the health of individual organisms – everything from fungi and plants to insects and humans. “We live in a balance, in a perfect equilibrium”, and viruses are a part of that, says Susana Lopez Charretón, a virologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “I think we’d be done without viruses.”
www.bbc.com...
We haven't learned that every living thing on this planet serves a purpose. Whether we like them, think they are ugly, feel they are a nuisance, or fear them. The planet does not revolve around us. In fact, it we are likely the only living thing on this planet that do more harm than good. To ourselves and to the planet.
The planet would likely thrive much better without us. Which now gives me something else to think it about.
Maybe Mother Earth is trying to kill us. God knows we have been doing a poor job as caretakers, for centuries.
originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
a reply to: Wide-Eyes
Not really. Insurance sucks...but its what i had. Im left with credit in tatters and about 45k in savings spent to keep me going.
The doctors are just employees of a big system. They care. Their system...not as much.
3) Gene Therapy as a Weapon: Gene therapy will revolutionize the treatment of human genetic diseases. The goal is to effect a permanent change in the genetic composition of a person by repairing or replacing a faulty gene. Genes have already been spliced into bacteria to produce "human" insulin in large quantities. The eventual goal is to splice a gene that codes for the production of insulin into human pancreatic tissue to cure diabetes. Similar research is progressing on adding in the missing gene to prevent the symptoms of cystic fibrosis. However, the same technology could be subverted to insert pathogenic genes.
If smallpox were to be similarly genetically manipulated, our current vaccine may not protect against it. These vectors are not yet very efficient in introducing genes into tissue cells. But if a medical technique is perfected, similar vectors might eventually be used to insert harmful genes into an unsuspecting population.
Stealth Viruses: The concept of a stealth virus is a cryptic viral infection that covertly enters human cells (genomes) and then remains dormant for an extended time. However, a signal by an external stimulus could later trigger the virus to activate and cause disease. This mechanism, in fact, occurs fairly commonly in nature. For example, many humans carry herpes virus which can activate to cause oral or genital lesions. Similarly, varicella virus will sometimes reactivate in the form of herpes zoster (shingles) in some people who had chicken pox earlier in life. However, the vast majority of viruses do not cause disease.
As a biological weapon, a stealth virus could clandestinely infect the genome of a population. Later, the virus could be activated in the targeted population, or a threat of activation could be used as blackmail.
The PDF is one section, only 38 pages with ending 10 pages of bibliography.
Oncogenes are segments of DNA that, when switched on, can initiate wild cellular growth and misbehavior—the hallmarks of cancer. Some viruses have segments of DNA that can mimic oncogenes and directly, or perhaps through bioregulators or host genes, cause cancer. These changes may take years for clinical effect, but the concept may still be considered by bioterrorists.
Next Generation Bioweapons
Depending on who you ask, the Obama administration’s controversial pick to be the Department of Homeland Security’s geek-in-chief is either a leading authority on the deadliest terror threats — or a biowar chicken little, dangerously out of touch with reality. At first glance, Dr. Tara O’Toole is a dream candidate to take over the position.
"She was the single most extreme person, either in or out of government, advocating for a massive biodefense expansion and relaxation of provisions for safety and security," he adds. "She makes Dr. Strangelove look sane."