News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by niea_11 on Thursday November 05, 2020 @09:28AM (#24998515)
Sterility is just one example of gene modification.

A harmful modification that doesn't cause sterility will propagate across generations if the indivuals are able to reproduce.

For example a scenario where we see the symptoms but we don't know that they are caused by a gene modification. And where individuals are still able to live and have children.

And I'm not saying that the tech is bad. I'm sure that people can come up with a lot of good use cases.

Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by mattmanser on Thursday November 05, 2020 @11:13AM (#24999433)
That's not how evolution works.

If it's harmful, it will get selected against, and will disappear rather rapidly.

There's a reason why they need to release 750 million genetically modified mosquitos, and not just 1.

Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by thatguy0900 on Thursday November 05, 2020 @12:16PM (#24999942)
Does evolution in that manner really apply to humans anymore? I'm basically blind without glasses and I still get to have kids, probably would have died as a useless child in caveman days Edit: I'm downvoted but I'm curious why. It seems to me that modern medicine has eliminated large parts of natural selection for humans. Is that not the case?
Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by andrewflnr on Thursday November 05, 2020 @11:07PM (#25004794)
Presumably your mental abilities have compensated for your physical issues, thus increasing your fitness. That's valid evolutionary logic as well.
Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by mcjkrw on Friday November 06, 2020 @02:28PM (#25010368)
I think it's about that the natural selection applies only to the current environment. We are not to be fit to live in caveman days, but in the modern society. If having a condition does not present an obstacle to navigate the world and mate, then it won't be selected against.
Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by brixon on Thursday November 05, 2020 @12:35PM (#25000130)
evolution and rapidly don't go together.
Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by mattmanser on Thursday November 05, 2020 @12:37PM (#25000150)
Rapidly in evolutionary terms.
Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by nelsontodd on Thursday November 05, 2020 @12:15PM (#24999937)
Well i’d say the inability to understand probability is a harmful trait but you’re clearly still here and might even have kids. And everyone with asthma, type 1 diabetes, and a tiny dick would like a word with you. Idiot
Re:750M genetically modified mosquitoes to be released in Fl... by mattmanser on Thursday November 05, 2020 @12:56PM (#25000336)
I'm sorry, it must be tough having those three conditions, but unfortunately that has little to do with what we're discussing.

With 6 billion people in the world today, even if our nefarious post-doc somehow gene-spliced 100 people with a 100% probability transmit of a "bad" recessive gene, it would take so many generations for any effect to be felt.

By then, we can assume, it would be trivial to reverse the "damage" caused. Hence the eye-rolling at the idea that one post-doc could be any serious threat.