Philosophy
You've gotten the quick intro to how viruses invade our bodies before (with Robert Krulwich, no less), but today we get the full BBC treatment, so to speak.
Viruses are way more ubiquitous than we normally realize, and although they have a bad reputation (what, with killing millions of people world-wide every now and then), these marvels of evolutionary molecular engineering actually seem to be responsible for a substantial contribution to the development of complex life on the planet (and to our understanding of the origins of life), so our relationship with them is rather complicated.
Say what you will about them, it is undeniable fact that they are a force to be reckoned with. And if we momentarily ignore the harm they sometimes cause us, we might even be able to see them as a thing of beauty... just keep your distance.
And if you don't think they could be a thing of beauty, check out this art exhibit based on glass sculptures of deadly viruses.
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- Is Beauty An Ethical Notion?
Beauty enhances life. A life lived surrounded by beauty is a better life than one not. Does this mean that beauty is a moral concept? Do we have an obligation to make the world more beautiful if we can? Do we have a moral duty to create beauty?...
- Seven Wonders Of The Microbe World
Bacteria, and the fact that we have to use antibiotics against them every now and then to combat powerful diseases, may conjure up nasty and scary feelings for many people, but let's not be too quick to come up with sweeping generalizations, since...
- How Viruses Invade Our Bodies
We may hate viruses for all the nasty things they can do to our bodies--I certainly do. For all their virulence, however, viruses are brilliant pieces of machinery if we think about them from a molecular and genetic point of view. First of all, viruses...
- Pithovirus Sibericum...brought To Life
"Giant Virus Resurrected from 30,000-Year-Old Ice" The discovery of the largest virus yet, still infectious, hints at the viral diversity trapped in permafrost by Ed Yong and Nature magazine March 4th, 2014 Scientific American In what seems like a...
- Dormant, Not Dead
"Who to blame for flu? Maybe the U.S., study finds" by Maggie Fox and Peter Cooney May 27th, 2010 Reuters The United States may provide an incubating ground for some flu strains, helping them migrate to warmer climates, U.S. researchers said on Thursday....
Philosophy
Why Do Viruses Kill?
You've gotten the quick intro to how viruses invade our bodies before (with Robert Krulwich, no less), but today we get the full BBC treatment, so to speak.Viruses are way more ubiquitous than we normally realize, and although they have a bad reputation (what, with killing millions of people world-wide every now and then), these marvels of evolutionary molecular engineering actually seem to be responsible for a substantial contribution to the development of complex life on the planet (and to our understanding of the origins of life), so our relationship with them is rather complicated.
Say what you will about them, it is undeniable fact that they are a force to be reckoned with. And if we momentarily ignore the harm they sometimes cause us, we might even be able to see them as a thing of beauty... just keep your distance.
And if you don't think they could be a thing of beauty, check out this art exhibit based on glass sculptures of deadly viruses.
.
- Is Beauty An Ethical Notion?
Beauty enhances life. A life lived surrounded by beauty is a better life than one not. Does this mean that beauty is a moral concept? Do we have an obligation to make the world more beautiful if we can? Do we have a moral duty to create beauty?...
- Seven Wonders Of The Microbe World
Bacteria, and the fact that we have to use antibiotics against them every now and then to combat powerful diseases, may conjure up nasty and scary feelings for many people, but let's not be too quick to come up with sweeping generalizations, since...
- How Viruses Invade Our Bodies
We may hate viruses for all the nasty things they can do to our bodies--I certainly do. For all their virulence, however, viruses are brilliant pieces of machinery if we think about them from a molecular and genetic point of view. First of all, viruses...
- Pithovirus Sibericum...brought To Life
"Giant Virus Resurrected from 30,000-Year-Old Ice" The discovery of the largest virus yet, still infectious, hints at the viral diversity trapped in permafrost by Ed Yong and Nature magazine March 4th, 2014 Scientific American In what seems like a...
- Dormant, Not Dead
"Who to blame for flu? Maybe the U.S., study finds" by Maggie Fox and Peter Cooney May 27th, 2010 Reuters The United States may provide an incubating ground for some flu strains, helping them migrate to warmer climates, U.S. researchers said on Thursday....