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0 pointsjustapassenger3y ago0 comments

To study how they evolve and their potential to become a problem? Yeah, that’s the only way to go.

And given how fast viruses evolve, there’s no real alternative.

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2 comments · 1 top-level

benreesman3y ago· 1 in thread

I think everyone agrees that observing live virus in the lab is a critical (if dangerous) part of studying them.

Intentionally engineering them as high as possible on transmissibility and morbidity is bioweapon development being money laundered through conventional science: it’s an insane thing to do.

Leaving SARS-COV-2 out of it completely: there have indisputably been other leaks. It’s the height of irresponsibility and shortsightedness to engineer civilization-ending viruses, which is why it’s banned under multiple international conventions that GoF is a workaround for.

You don’t need a vaccine for the fucking superflu if you never develop the fucking superflu.

justapassengerOP3y ago

And you assume that flu won’t evolve in nature? And can only start to learn about superflu once everyone is locked down at home?

Also, gain function refers to basically any change to pathogen. Banning it is like banning 5G, because it could be used to steer nano bots.

And you also heavily overstate our abilities to actually mutate viruses in a way we’d want.

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