“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprofit EcoHealth Alliance

Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by arcticfox on Thursday March 31, 2022 @05:45PM (#30872550)

> Compare and contrast to activities that are very dangerous and have nearly infinite catastrophic risks but we do every day: driving, flying, operating nuclear power plants, refining oil, and much much more.

What? The risks for each of those, even the nuclear power plant operation, are extremely limited and localized. GoF research has potential near-extinction levels of risk. Nuclear weapons are the ony thing on remotely the same tier IMO. It's not to say that GoF is not a good idea, as clearly there is potential benefit. But to compare it to the risks of driving a car is apples to radioactive oranges.

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Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by IG_Semmelweiss on Friday April 01, 2022 @07:11AM (#30877017)

I agree with your sentiment, but you are contradicting yourself

Nuclear accidents cannot be [1] limited and localized, and also [2] at the same tier as GoF (...since GoF outcomes are certainly not [1]).

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Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by arcticfox on Monday April 04, 2022 @01:57PM (#30909843)

Nuclear weapons vs. nuclear power plants. Even terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants or maximum meltdowns aren't GoF tier. Only nuclear war.

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Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by daveguy on Friday April 01, 2022 @07:01PM (#30884188)

There was no contradiction. The difference was nuclear power plant vs nuclear weapons.

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Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by R0b0t1 on Friday April 01, 2022 @01:08AM (#30875363)

Stupid GoF research has those risks. Totally eliminating a research methodology because of possible bad actors is just like how nuclear energy was delayed for decades because of green ooze.

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Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by jtc331 on Friday April 01, 2022 @08:04AM (#30877310)

It’s not just about bad actors. It’s that the techniques (serial passaging) aren’t even controllable in the sense that we don’t know what will result.

GoF is often not lab engineering and the outcomes are not predictable and the range of possible danger is almost infinite. Even from perfectly well intentioned actors.

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Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by R0b0t1 on Friday April 01, 2022 @01:44PM (#30881044)

Not knowing the result is the point. You develop novel viruses that you may not be able to imagine and then study how they impact an organism. This is useful.

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Re:“This shouldn’t happen”: Inside the virus-hunting nonprof... by Ygg2 on Friday April 01, 2022 @06:19AM (#30876708)

With all respect to nuclear threat. It doesn't self replicate.

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