Science Microthreads

[Ferrus]

Now with 100% less Catoptric's insane BS.

First post:

How TB shaped our genes.

[djm]

Interesting read. My paternal grandfathers father died of TB (and poverty) but being gassed in the trenches 10 years earlier probably didn't help his survival chances. I had TB as a child and my lungs are still awful now as a result, hence I am quite keen not to catch covid as my lungs are like those of an octogenarian chain smoker.

[Ferrus]

Didn't you have cancer at one point?

My mother had breast cancer a few years ago and survived fine, but her doctor recommended being more catious with covid as the treatment can had long term effects on immune efficiency.

You should be able to get a vaccine soon in the UK, I know people my age with relatively minor chronic health conditions like slightly high blood pressure, or gestational diabetes like my sister who have already had it.

[starjots]

100-Million-Year-Old Seafloor Sediment Bacteria Have Been Resuscitated

Reading into the article, these weren't spores of bacteria, these were just plain old bacteria idling in the sediment over geologic ages.

[SomeInternetBloke]

(Edit) I have editing issues.


Shit's been getting real in Mashyville. Is she an artist or a philosopher? Neither. She's a mashup of both and more.

(Edit souffle) Ok, there wasn't much mileage on that; let's just say it was still birthed. *orderly straps on a helmet and delivers a shot of valium*

[SomeInternetBloke]

[SomeInternetBloke]

Thought-provoking article about The New Science of Forgivness

[Catoptric]

Too often people are thinking from the perspective that intelligent life would not adapt a trace characteristics similar to humanity if it deemed to observe humanity and attempt to integrate some process that would give the desired outcome. Considering how civilizations interacted with completely new societies, evidently, customs and social barriers were overcome (albeit through grievous acts.)

Any intelligent life that would manage to interact with a vastly different world from where it originated might not even comprise of the kind of society that would develop an emerging civilization, as it would have long since surpassed and maintained a different trajectory from what is no longer a sustainable society/lifeform (will the earth potentially require adaptations to the host life, if we could no longer acquire the resources needed to prolong modern capitalism or biological process; to what extremes would technology lead us if it was assumed organic life was no longer needed or of benefit?)

What kinds of economic or political systems will develop (presuming that the existing systems that propel humanity don’t “do us in” when existing global capitalism forces humanity to prevent conflict from happening, per se?)

If chemical resources deplete and can’t be rejuvenated, an alternative resource will be developed or eliminated. If a civilization endured for a million years which is not that long, as human civilization and modern human identity is relatively recent, the general consensus is that us homo genus species similar as us sapiens similarly dating back 6 millions years—of which we have seen tremendous changes in the last several thousand years—even moreso does this become obvious in the last century. Even at this point in time we have people very serious about colonizing Mars. . . Think about that.

So if we discovered that some lifeform on a planet suitable for life was “in the way” would it be attempted to integrate into the collective fold, and if it was believed the species was similar to livestock would it be treated as an unassuming and docile creature that could be easily manipulated, or would it be eradicated if it was far to big of a threat to benefit and the easiest approach would obviously be to produce something that would only affect the species in question, similar to how mosquitos have been eliminated in parts of the world by studying their biological processes.

If an alien species were altruistic and intended the best of intentions with the most optimistic outcome, it might even attempt to challenge the population with problems that it would need to overcome, in order to evolve the species intellectually and to help it to overcome its own limitations; and through that process, a society that cultivated desirable characteristics would be self-perpetuating. . . I believe this has already been happening for some time (but I don't think it's working.)

[HighlyIrregular]

to what extremes would technology lead us if it was assumed organic life was no longer needed or of benefit?)

Could any amount of good make it worth the horrible things some people have experienced (was it good that life evolved?)? Only if the good prevents even more horrible things. So, if you're specifically talking about the evolution of human life, we can make it worth it if we prevent suffering of aliens. But if you're talking about all life in the universe, then it's just not worth it. Organic life universe-wide was never beneficial. Advanced aliens may realize this and go on a benevolent killing spree. Or a conventional do-good spree. Either could conceivably be justified IMO. They'd have to do some cost/benefit analysis to choose which and IDK which they'd choose.

[SomeInternetBloke]

An Introduction to the History of Pixel Art - Posted July 16, 2016

A Xerox PARC employee standing behind a computer system. The screen on the right
has a color image of a planet with an orbit around it, created in SuperPaint. Source