Comment: Re:Viral Wars (Score 1) 754
Basically, when every nut and terrorist is able to brew a super-plague, the outcome is dissolution of all forms of government, which simply must cave in to the demands or face genocide. This results in formations of small anarchy states. No larger govt. structures exist, since even if terrorists' demands are met, they become well known and hence they can become the targets themselves and the vicious cycle continues.
Comment: Too late (Score 5, Insightful) 754
With this sentence, they have practically gave it away already. All one has to do now is to scan the scientific literature for the appropriate five mutations that confer increased airborne transmissibility, perform site directed mutagenesis and voila.
They should follow the footsteps of Australian researches (who inserted IL4 gene into the mousepox creating a very lethal strain) and publish this anyway.
Comment: Re:HeLa (Score 3, Interesting) 43
Comment: Re:And some people still wonder why... (Score 1) 673
And some people still wonder why the public are opposed to nuclear power.
People oppose the nuclear power because they are fed over-exaggerated headlines by sensation seeking media. "We are facing the next Chernobyl! BOOM!!!" is going to generate many more views than "Humanitarian crisis in Japan caused by widespread flooding."
Comment: Re:I can beat the computer... (Score 4, Funny) 292
Rock-paper-scissors-control-alt-delete.
Typical human behavior... Always resorting to violence.
Comment: Ouch... (Score 1) 164
Comment: No, thank you. (Score 2) 188
Comment: Badly written (Score 2) 180
What a load of crap. Cells have a plenty of methods to fight virus infections. For example viral RNA silencing or interferon alpha/beta response. Moreover, killing of the infected cells is also a viable immune strategy.
So it is not a game over... In addition, where is the link to the original publication? (article or it didn't happen!)
Comment: I find that hard to believe... (Score 3, Insightful) 509
As much as Id like to believe all these new and wonderful technologies, I wouldn't underestimate the ability of human beings to inflict a grevious harm on themeselves in the most creative ways. You may have the zero-fatality car but the guy plowing into you head first might not and the result would most likely be just as fatal. OTOH, every bit of safety counts.