henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (07/23/89)
In article <24043@prls.UUCP> gordon@prls.UUCP (Gordon Vickers) writes: >Every extinction, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable, hastens our own demise. Including that of the species known as "variola major"? Unlike most extinctions, which arise from lack of concern, this creature was deliberately stamped off the face of the earth, about 15 years ago, by a systematic campaign specifically aimed at rendering it extinct. Good riddance, too. It caused smallpox. -- 1961-1969: 8 years of Apollo. | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology 1969-1989: 20 years of nothing.| uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu
ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) (07/23/89)
In article <1989Jul23.070623.3848@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >In article <24043@prls.UUCP> gordon@prls.UUCP (Gordon Vickers) writes: >>Every extinction, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable, hastens our own demise. > >Including that of the species known as "variola major"? >Good riddance, too. It caused smallpox. >-- Three things: (1) It is not actually extinct; I am sitting three miles from one of the two places in the world the virus exists; the Centers for Disease Control, in Atlanta. The other repository is in Moscow. (2) Henry is correct in saying that not every species that becomes extinct will hasten our demise; while I know full well the advantages from perserving as many species as possible, I also know that each species that becomes extinct does not necessarily hasten our demise. When a species is lost, it is more a loss of potential than anything else. (3) Why is this in sci.space.shuttle? -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Matthew DeLuca : Georgia Institute of Technology : [This space for rent] ARPA: ccoprmd@hydra.gatech.edu : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
fiddler%concertina@Sun.COM (Steve Hix) (07/25/89)
In article <1167@hydra.gatech.EDU>, ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) writes: > In article <1989Jul23.070623.3848@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: > >In article <24043@prls.UUCP> gordon@prls.UUCP (Gordon Vickers) writes: > >>Every extinction, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable, hastens our own demise. > > > >Including that of the species known as "variola major"? > >Good riddance, too. It caused smallpox. > > (1) It is not actually extinct; I am sitting three miles from one of the > two places in the world the virus exists; the Centers for Disease Control, > in Atlanta. The other repository is in Moscow. And an indeterminate reservoir among various roughly anthropoids (babboons?) in parts of east Africa. This is the bunch to worry about.
dmoore@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Douglas K. Moore) (07/29/89)
In article <1167@hydra.gatech.EDU> ccoprmd@prism.gatech.EDU (Matthew DeLuca) writes: >In article <1989Jul23.070623.3848@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >>In article <24043@prls.UUCP> gordon@prls.UUCP (Gordon Vickers) writes: >>>Every extinction, whether animal, mineral, or vegetable, hastens our own demise. >> >>Including that of the species known as "variola major"? >>Good riddance, too. It caused smallpox. >>-- >Three things: > >(3) Why is this in sci.space.shuttle? This is an exclent question but as long as it is here I'll add my two cents worth of info. I have a little problem thinking of minerals as becoming extinct but when we start talking about Vriuses we almost have to use that definition. As by most definitions of life, vrius arnt alive. I know this may seem odd but it is true. Most definitions of life call for auto-reproduction, and some type of metabolic activity. vrius do niether. they are totaly dependant on the infected cells to provide the mechimisms for reproduction and the metabolic energy for the job. (this usualy is fatel to the cell hence the problem with vriuses.) This begs the questions if vriuses arn't alive what are they? .... basicly they are little balls of protine with some nuclaic acid in the middle ... they have no life span other than that of other chemical compounds, and death is not the cesation of some activity but the destruction of the molucles. -- Douglas K. Moore Harvey Mudd College, Biology Dept. The opinions expresed here do not necessarily represent the students staff or facality of Harvey Mudd College, in whole or in part, the Claremont Colleges the US commision on civil rights, or myself
jwp@larry.sal.wisc.edu (Jeffrey W Percival) (07/30/89)
In article <1677@jarthur.Claremont.EDU> dmoore@jarthur.UUCP (Douglas K. Moore) writes: >...arn't arnt cesation commision dependant exclent expresed facality fatel >...mechimisms molucles niether nuclaic protine totaly usualy vrius vriuses > Harvey Mudd College, Biology Dept. Remind me not to sign up for that English course at Harvey Mudd... -- Jeff Percival (jwp@larry.sal.wisc.edu)