Who wants some toxins with their cold viruses?

January 21, 2003 6:40 PM

A scientist discovers that scorpions make two types of venoms. Cool. But he made the discovery while attempting to find a toxin that he wants to put into a common cold virus, in order to kill insects that catch the cold? Shouldn't we be worried about this?
posted by titboy (16 comments total)

> Shouldn't we be worried about this?

Why?
posted by holloway at 6:59 PM on January 21, 2003

Hollow:

Think giant mutant Scorpions who are royally pissed off that we tried to kill them with insect colds. thats why we should be worried.
posted by Pink Fuzzy Bunny at 7:09 PM on January 21, 2003

Ah... scorpions with kung foo grip... gotcha.
posted by holloway at 7:16 PM on January 21, 2003

How about fruit flies with the modified cold virus that sneeze on you?!?!? That worries me, not kung fu grip scorpions.
posted by rough ashlar at 7:23 PM on January 21, 2003

The obligatory:
I for one welcome our new scorpion overlords.
posted by entropy at 7:30 PM on January 21, 2003

As long as the virus can't mutate, infect humans, no need to worry I guess.
posted by elpapacito at 7:48 PM on January 21, 2003

Thanks entropy...you saved me the trouble ;-)

Oh, and BTW...scorpions are COOL.
posted by davidmsc at 8:06 PM on January 21, 2003

One could make the argument that releasing a genetically engineered virus that kills at least one kind of insect could have effects on the ecosystem that insect lives in. One might also hypothesize that it might kill other sorts of insects.

However, the article really says nothing about why the guy was working on that virus, so...
posted by kavasa at 8:25 PM on January 21, 2003

Genocide, it's all genocide, I tells ya!

I wonder what PETA has to say about this. Please tell me it's the above and I don't have to add another hypocritical action to my list!
posted by shepd at 8:52 PM on January 21, 2003

so if I get a cold, researchers are working on ways to make sure I'll die as a result? uh, doesn't that mean it's time to shut down the NSF?
posted by Vidiot at 9:01 PM on January 21, 2003

See this locust body?
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/custer/recreation/grasshopper.shtml

Yup. Americans have already whipped out one insect species, so why not bug-colds to whipe out the rest?
posted by rough ashlar at 9:13 PM on January 21, 2003

Wait a second? We're getting scorpion overlords?

Jesus god, I'm calling G.W., he'll know just what to do!
posted by Kodel at 10:51 PM on January 21, 2003

I prefer to base my paranoia around the mutant flying scorpion that shoots bees from its mouth. And there's bees, and the stinging and the hurting and the hey. hey!
posted by blue_beetle at 11:04 PM on January 21, 2003

Also discussed here.
posted by hama7 at 1:50 AM on January 22, 2003

These scorpions-they vibrate?

(sorry. couuldn't resist.)
posted by konolia at 3:43 AM on January 22, 2003

In Soviet Russia... er.
posted by Foosnark at 9:24 AM on January 22, 2003