Comments on: Why We Can't Just Get Rid of the Genes That Let Us Get Infected http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/02/13/why-we-cant-just-get-rid-of-the-genes-that-let-us-get-infected/ Mon, 22 Apr 2013 21:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: floodmouse http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/02/13/why-we-cant-just-get-rid-of-the-genes-that-let-us-get-infected/#comment-31689 floodmouse Fri, 06 Apr 2012 18:45:44 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=34966#comment-31689 "When you whittle down the number of MHC proteins in a population, as has happened in dairy cows bred to produce lots of milk, you wind up with a situation where viruses and bacteria can spread like wildfire." Think this would extend to voluntary human inbreeding? (e.g., due to ethnic/racial cleansing.) I can't help but think of the Douglas Adams novels - my memory is a little unclear after all these years, but I think Earth eliminated the telephone sanitizers, then everyone died from a disease spread by unsanitary telephones. :) “When you whittle down the number of MHC proteins in a population, as has happened in dairy cows bred to produce lots of milk, you wind up with a situation where viruses and bacteria can spread like wildfire.”

Think this would extend to voluntary human inbreeding? (e.g., due to ethnic/racial cleansing.) I can’t help but think of the Douglas Adams novels – my memory is a little unclear after all these years, but I think Earth eliminated the telephone sanitizers, then everyone died from a disease spread by unsanitary telephones. :)

]]> By: Justin Ma http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/02/13/why-we-cant-just-get-rid-of-the-genes-that-let-us-get-infected/#comment-31688 Justin Ma Sat, 18 Feb 2012 03:38:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=34966#comment-31688 Just to be clear, monocultured crops are not neccesarily monocultured varieties. Rotation of resistance has long been recognized as important. And @amphiox, while the selfish gene hypothesis is certainly dominant, works and is a better theory than species selection, in general...sometimes it is easier to think of things as group or population selection. These theories are only models. Just to be clear, monocultured crops are not neccesarily monocultured varieties. Rotation of resistance has long been recognized as important. And @amphiox, while the selfish gene hypothesis is certainly dominant, works and is a better theory than species selection, in general…sometimes it is easier to think of things as group or population selection. These theories are only models.

]]> By: amphiox http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/02/13/why-we-cant-just-get-rid-of-the-genes-that-let-us-get-infected/#comment-31687 amphiox Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:47:28 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=34966#comment-31687 Interesting hypothesis. But I don't think it is accurate to describe this as "benefitting the species," particularly since evolution doesn't work by promoting traits that "benefit the species". Evolution works on traits that benefit individuals first and foremost. Benefit to the species is just a lucky side-effect of SOME of these favored traits. Interesting hypothesis. But I don’t think it is accurate to describe this as “benefitting the species,” particularly since evolution doesn’t work by promoting traits that “benefit the species”. Evolution works on traits that benefit individuals first and foremost. Benefit to the species is just a lucky side-effect of SOME of these favored traits.

]]> By: Bob http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/02/13/why-we-cant-just-get-rid-of-the-genes-that-let-us-get-infected/#comment-31686 Bob Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:03:58 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=34966#comment-31686 @Sandra, don't drink the chocolate milk! and it should be utterly impossible to spell udder wrong. @Sandra, don’t drink the chocolate milk!

and it should be utterly impossible to spell udder wrong.

]]> By: Sandra http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2012/02/13/why-we-cant-just-get-rid-of-the-genes-that-let-us-get-infected/#comment-31685 Sandra Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:46:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=34966#comment-31685 My delicious super-cows are immune to all viruses. And each utter conveniently dispenses a different flavor of milk. My delicious super-cows are immune to all viruses.
And each utter conveniently dispenses a different flavor of milk.

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