Scientists plan to awaken ancient virus...for real!
Sept 9, 2015 19:01:25 GMT -6
727sky, dirkgently, and 6 more like this
Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2015 19:01:25 GMT -6
Oh... Now... THIS is what I call a dandy of an idea!
Well, hot damn in a dixie cup. They say its harmless. Whew....... I was worried there for a moment.
WHAT, pray tell, could possibly go wrong?
Source
Oh...THAT could go wrong.
I'm glad that is all, next to the sheer wealth of exploiting oil beneath the permafrost. Society must have its priorities!
Scientists who discovered a prehistoric virus called Mollivirus sibericum in the Siberian permafrost plan to give the virus its first wakeup call since the last Ice Age (after first verifying that it can't harm humans and animals, thankfully). It's hoped the study could shed insight into ancient dormant viruses that could, it's feared, get another chance at spreading as permafrost retreats due to climate change.
Well, hot damn in a dixie cup. They say its harmless. Whew....... I was worried there for a moment.
The same team that discovered Mollivirus sibericum found another 30,000-year-old virus, Pithovirus sibericum, in the same Russian permafrost. As described in PNAS last year, those scientists revived a sample of Pithovirus sibericum in safe lab conditions and determined it was still infectious, though it only affects amoebas.
WHAT, pray tell, could possibly go wrong?
He added, "If we are not careful, and we industrialize these areas without putting safeguards in place, we run the risk of one day waking up viruses such as smallpox that we thought were eradicated."
Oh...THAT could go wrong.
I'm glad that is all, next to the sheer wealth of exploiting oil beneath the permafrost. Society must have its priorities!
