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AI creates first synthetic viruses (europe.pub)
submitted 2 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by to c/fuck_ai@lemmy.world
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Why go for the cures right?
Paywalled source https://ft.trib.al/Uk6VCRG

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[–] 8 points 2 months ago* (12 children)

AI SOLVES THE FERMI PARADOX

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I wouldn't say "solves" so much as answers whether our great filter is ahead of us or behind us (it's the former, btw).

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago

    IMO it's more of a case that there are a ton of great filters, some of which we've passed through already, others are still ahead. But all the ones that we've previously passed probably mean that intelligent life capable of advanced technology is very rare, possibly even to the point that we're the only ones in the galaxy.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (8 children)

    Bacteriaphages are no more dangerous to complex life than a knife is to single-cellular life.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (7 children)

    What? A bacteriophage in your gut could definitely kill you.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago*

    bacteriophages only infect bacteria, hence the name. they cant infect eukaryotes, or even things like archaea. also they target specific strains of bacteria, and only the ones that arnt resistant to bacteriaphages.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    How? Do you know how they work? What they are? You have literally trillions in your gut right now. There are literally more bacteriaphages inside of you than human cells and bacteria combined.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    My thinking was that a novel bacteriophage could potentially clear out the bacteria in your intestines. Seems like natural bacteriophages are all pretty cool with humans, though. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    And that phage wouldn't kill all your gut flora, it would only kill one strain/species at most. Which is just a normal Tuesday for your gut microbiome.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Ah, yes, and that's why you were asking me how they worked, because I clearly did not. Thanks for the education! I wasn't expecting to learn about bacteriophages when I woke up this morning.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago*

    it wont, each phage, is only able to infect one species, and even some strains only. theres always evolution arms race between bacteria and viruses, so theres is no virus attacks all bacteria. since more than one species exist in your gut. also it gets complicated if you consider bacteria can become resistant to phage infection, yes it can be overcome.

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