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The Rat
SFN Regular
Canada
1370 Posts |
 Posted - 11/18/2009 : 20:22:04
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A New Guinea tribe seems to have evolved an immunity to Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.
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Bailey's second law; There is no relationship between the three virtues of intelligence, education, and wisdom.
You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity! Have you ever considered a career in the Church? - The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Blackadder II
Baculum's page: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3947338590 |
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Bob Lloyd
Skeptic Friend
Spain
59 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 02:39:11 [Permalink]
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It's a real shame that the BBC used the phrase "developed strong genetic resistance after a major epidemic" implying that the genetic mutation was a response to the disease. That gives the impression that the evolutionary change was a response to something when it wasn't.
I think it's really important for people to understand that evolution is completely blind. In the space of three generations, what will have happened is that the already existing mutation in the genotype would have differentially survived because those possessing the genetic resistance to kuru would survive more than those who didn't. Therefore they would procreate and pass on their genes to the next generation in whom the proportion possessing the genetic mutation would be higher still.
The impression would be given that there was some kind of response to the illness. But this is not the same thing as developing antibodies and being able to analyse the structure to produce vaccines. It's a blind mutation which through natural selection, has become predominant in the gene pool. The BBC article gives the impression that somehow Darwinian natural selection "could halt" CJD. There's no reason to believe that at all, and absolutely nothing in the article to suggest it.
It's a very good example of the sound-bite journalism so common these days to conflate the really interesting science with something that doesn't follow from it. The really interesting part of the story is that it is an observable instance of natural selection which demonstrates measurable changes in the gene pool. Actually studying the genetic mutation might help analyse the immunity to kuru and hence other prion-type illnesses and I wish the BBC article had actually said that. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 04:03:50 [Permalink]
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I recall reading something about that a while back when I was doing some research on birds of paradise and got side-tracked into local cannibalism, as one does. It is very interesting.
Survival advantage
University College London's Institute of Neurology geneticist Professor John Hardy said the findings were fascinating.
"It's fantastic demonstration of natural selection.
"Because people who have this mutation were protected from this fatal disease their proportion in society increased massively."
But he said a similar resistance to CJD would be less likely to develop.
He said: "In Papua New Guinea kuru became the major cause of death, so there was a clear survival advantage and the selection pressure was enormous.
"Here in Britain the numbers with CJD are very small and so the selection pressures will be less."
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Obviously, we should all eat our dead and build an immunity to this dread disease -- oh, wait. Evolution doesn't work that way. I guess we'll have to just eat them for nourishment, then.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
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| Edited by - filthy on 11/19/2009 04:07:00 |
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9687 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 06:24:17 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by filthy
Obviously, we should all eat our dead and build an immunity to this dread disease -- oh, wait. Evolution doesn't work that way. I guess we'll have to just eat them for nourishment, then.
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So, who orders the first round of Soylent Green?
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 06:47:30 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Originally posted by filthy
Obviously, we should all eat our dead and build an immunity to this dread disease -- oh, wait. Evolution doesn't work that way. I guess we'll have to just eat them for nourishment, then.
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So, who orders the first round of Soylent Green?
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This guy, of course.
Who better qualified for the honor?
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 10:04:52 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Bob Lloyd
It's a real shame that the BBC used the phrase "developed strong genetic resistance after a major epidemic" implying that the genetic mutation was a response to the disease. That gives the impression that the evolutionary change was a response to something when it wasn't.
I think it's really important for people to understand that evolution is completely blind. In the space of three generations, what will have happened is that the already existing mutation in the genotype would have differentially survived because those possessing the genetic resistance to kuru would survive more than those who didn't. Therefore they would procreate and pass on their genes to the next generation in whom the proportion possessing the genetic mutation would be higher still.
The impression would be given that there was some kind of response to the illness. But this is not the same thing as developing antibodies and being able to analyse the structure to produce vaccines. It's a blind mutation which through natural selection, has become predominant in the gene pool. The BBC article gives the impression that somehow Darwinian natural selection "could halt" CJD. There's no reason to believe that at all, and absolutely nothing in the article to suggest it.
It's a very good example of the sound-bite journalism so common these days to conflate the really interesting science with something that doesn't follow from it. The really interesting part of the story is that it is an observable instance of natural selection which demonstrates measurable changes in the gene pool. Actually studying the genetic mutation might help analyse the immunity to kuru and hence other prion-type illnesses and I wish the BBC article had actually said that.
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The popular media has a target audience with minimal scientific interest or literacy. Combine that with the absence of even minimal scientific literacy among journalists and you get a steaming pile of complete nonsense like the article from the OP.
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Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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HalfMooner
Dingaling
Philippines
15831 Posts |
Posted - 11/19/2009 : 12:11:01 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by filthy
. . . I was doing some research on birds of paradise and got side-tracked into local cannibalism, as one does. It is very interesting |
Filthy, Filthy, Filthy. I know one does these things from time to time. Who hasn't? And it is interesting. But you give off rather too casual vibes about your occasional descents into cannibalism. Yes, "local cannibalism" is doubtless the better of the two types, since long pig shipped great distances can be very high in bacteria. But really, there are reasonable people who say one should avoid the practice altogether. I hope you will at least consider trying to keep these particular eating binges to a minimum -- if only so you will have more time to study creatures like the birds of paradise. |
“Biology is just physics that has begun to smell bad.” —HalfMooner
Here's a link to Moonscape News, and one to its Archive. |
| Edited by - HalfMooner on 11/19/2009 12:17:23 |
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filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 11/19/2009 : 17:09:57 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by HalfMooner
Originally posted by filthy
. . . I was doing some research on birds of paradise and got side-tracked into local cannibalism, as one does. It is very interesting |
Filthy, Filthy, Filthy. I know one does these things from time to time. Who hasn't? And it is interesting. But you give off rather too casual vibes about your occasional descents into cannibalism. Yes, "local cannibalism" is doubtless the better of the two types, since long pig shipped great distances can be very high in bacteria. But really, there are reasonable people who say one should avoid the practice altogether. I hope you will at least consider trying to keep these particular eating binges to a minimum -- if only so you will have more time to study creatures like the birds of paradise.
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I see your point, but one can only afford to be casual about cannibalism if one is a devout Catholic, batshit insane or never has to worry about getting enough to eat.
If one should be on a seat in the life raft beside any of the above, one should take cannibalism very seriously.
A real bird of paradise.
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"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
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| Edited by - filthy on 11/19/2009 17:13:59 |
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Evolution works, again.
