Online gamers cracks AIDS enzyme puzzle.

[ramzaruglia]

http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/plugged...161920724.html

This is a news that deserves to be read by gamers around the world..

[crimsonedge]

Its a cool article, but it has little to do with general gaming. Breakthroughs in science have been made in the past in similar ways, by approaching problems from a combination of fields, some might even consider to be irrelevant to the problem.

Curing diseases is a double edged sword, and will just contribute to future overpopulation problems. Or the viruses will just mutate into something much more virulent. Nothing evolves or adapts faster than a Virus.

[Mistral]

Its a cool article, but it has little to do with general gaming. Breakthroughs in science have been made in the past in similar ways, by approaching problems from a combination of fields, some might even consider to be irrelevant to the problem.

Curing diseases is a double edged sword, and will just contribute to future overpopulation problems. Or the viruses will just mutate into something much more virulent. Nothing evolves or adapts faster than a Virus.

Which is why smallpox is still a persistent threat, and why we dropped off the Malthusian cliff two centuries ago. There's nothing two-edged about curing diseases, as far as I'm concerned. Even if other factors still exist that limit population growth, even if the disease does or does not eventually adapt to fight off the treatment (and it doesn't necessarily have to become more virulent to do so; that's a base misrepresentation), a step forward is still a step forward.

As for this story, it is a fairly interesting thing. It's obviously not the only thing necessary to cure AIDS, but identifying the structure of this retroviral cutting enzyme is likely to be quite useful in determining ways to combat HIV. And, considering this is general to retroviruses and not just HIV, it can be adjusted and tweaked, or simply generalized to suit any adaptions HIV may go through; it's not like a crow can become a chicken, after all, no matter how it's cooked.

[crimsonedge]

Which is why smallpox is still a persistent threat, and why we dropped off the Malthusian cliff two centuries ago. There's nothing two-edged about curing diseases, as far as I'm concerned. Even if other factors still exist that limit population growth, even if the disease does or does not eventually adapt to fight off the treatment (and it doesn't necessarily have to become more virulent to do so; that's a base misrepresentation), a step forward is still a step forward.

As for this story, it is a fairly interesting thing. It's obviously not the only thing necessary to cure AIDS, but identifying the structure of this retroviral cutting enzyme is likely to be quite useful in determining ways to combat HIV. And, considering this is general to retroviruses and not just HIV, it can be adjusted and tweaked, or simply generalized to suit any adaptions HIV may go through; it's not like a crow can become a chicken, after all, no matter how it's cooked.

They never actually eliminated small pox, instead they weaponized it and made it much more lethal than any natural variety of it ever was or probably would have been. They just control it in a lab now.

I think 10 Billion + people on Earth is too many, and it won't be long before we hit those numbers. The most underdeveloped countries are also many of the ones with exploding populations, but they don't have the government, structure or system in place to support such growth.

Even right now being HIV positive isn't necessarily a death sentence. Look at Magic Johnson, hes had it for over 20 years, and hes doing fine. Its possible he will live a normal human life span and die of old age, and not HIV.

[UltraViolence]

I think they used http://fold.it/ IIRC to do this. I know a lot of the bigger PC forums have teams for folding through http://folding.stanford.edu/ if anyone is interested. I had never heard of foldit before this. I have seen folding@home mentioned for years though. Also EVGA and overclock.net have pretty big folding teams ( may favorite PC website so figured I'd mention them great site for overclocking and PC info in general http://www.overclock.net/

[Mistral]

They never actually eliminated small pox, instead they weaponized it and made it much more lethal than any natural variety of it ever was or probably would have been. They just control it in a lab now.

I think 10 Billion + people on Earth is too many, and it won't be long before we hit those numbers. The most underdeveloped countries are also many of the ones with exploding populations, but they don't have the government, structure or system in place to support such growth.

I never said smallpox was eliminated. What I stated is that it is no longer a persistent threat. Globally speaking, there are no cases of smallpox in the world, no surviving animal vectors, and the only extant examples of the virus remaining are small samples in the CDC and VECTOR. America never weaponized smallpox; preliminary studies in the 1930s and 1940s were never followed through on due to impracticality. Similar Soviet efforts to weaponize smallpox have been documented, but the only examples available today, even with the opening of Russian archives in the 1990s, are one rumoured outbreak in the 1970s in Aralsk, which was never demonstrated to be an accidental release of weaponized smallpox rather than an ordinary strain that reached critical mass. This is, of course, entirely irrelevant, and I don't even know why you would bring it up except in a foolish attempt to obfuscate your actual claims; I stated the example of smallpox as it contraindicates your statement that HIV will both mutate to prevent any cure from becoming generally applicable and become more virulent in the process, neither of which are given, and neither of which indicate any sort of "double edged sword" in attempting to cure this disease.

I won't even touch the other half of your post.

[crimsonedge]

I never said smallpox was eliminated. What I stated is that it is no longer a persistent threat. Globally speaking, there are no cases of smallpox in the world, no surviving animal vectors, and the only extant examples of the virus remaining are small samples in the CDC and VECTOR. America never weaponized smallpox; preliminary studies in the 1930s and 1940s were never followed through on due to impracticality. Similar Soviet efforts to weaponize smallpox have been documented, but the only examples available today, even with the opening of Russian archives in the 1990s, are one rumoured outbreak in the 1970s in Aralsk, which was never demonstrated to be an accidental release of weaponized smallpox rather than an ordinary strain that reached critical mass. This is, of course, entirely irrelevant, and I don't even know why you would bring it up except in a foolish attempt to obfuscate your actual claims; I stated the example of smallpox as it contraindicates your statement that HIV will both mutate to prevent any cure from becoming generally applicable and become more virulent in the process, neither of which are given, and neither of which indicate any sort of "double edged sword" in attempting to cure this disease.

I won't even touch the other half of your post.

Everyone is cheering, yay!! Cure for AIDS!! I'm saying wait a minute, not so fast. I don't think its really that bad anyway, its relatively rare, and its mostly transmitted through drug addicts and people who whore around a lot. Occasionally there is an innocent kid born with it, but most of the ones who get AIDS aren't exactly the cream of the crop of society, if you know what I mean. Its natures way of weeding people out of the gene pool. One of the problems, and it will eventually be the undoing of humanity, is the lowest IQ people are also the ones having the most kids, if we were to start curing all these diseases, it will just make matters much worse in the long run. I am all for population control. But more so in the way of simply doing nothing, instead of helping and contributing to future problems 50-100 years down the road.

Imagine if we could just cure any disease and everyone lived to be 120, that would be a disaster. Because you would just extent lives much past their healthy/productive years. I don't even want to live to be that old.

[Milady]

Even right now being HIV positive isn't necessarily a death sentence. Look at Magic Johnson, hes had it for over 20 years, and hes doing fine. Its possible he will live a normal human life span and die of old age, and not HIV.

Just so you know, people don't die from HIV infection. They die as a result of opportunistic infections secondary to AIDS.

Everyone is cheering, yay!! Cure for AIDS!!

Not a single post thus far has contained such an exaggerated sentiment. Even the article itself is written rather matter-of-factly.

Mistral is being far too kind to you by avoiding portions of your nonsense.

[crimsonedge]

Just so you know, people don't die from HIV infection. They die as a result of opportunistic infections secondary to AIDS.

I'm aware if this, its a virus that attacks the human immune system, a disease like pneumonia, would be very fatal to someone with a weakened immune system. They have medicines that can more or less keep HIV in check but its not full proof. And they are very expensive medications. HIV can be present but dormant, like in the case of Magic Johnson. Medications work to make sure it stays dormant. But its by no means a cure. And I think they should be expensive, and not available to everybody in the world. The last thing we need is a cure, and even worse would be a cheap cure.

For people who live a healthy lifestyle the chances of getting AIDS in a civilized country is comparable to getting struck in the face by a meteorite in your sleep.

[Milady]

I'm aware if this, its a virus that attacks the human immune system, a disease like pneumonia, would be very fatal to someone with a weakened immune system. They have medicines that can more or less keep HIV in check but its not full proof. And they are very expensive medications. HIV can be present but dormant, like in the case of Magic Johnson. Medications work to make sure it stays dormant. But its by no means a cure. And I think they should be expensive, and not available to everybody in the world. The last thing we need is a cure, and even worse would be a cheap cure.

First, it's "fool proof." Second, I have a decent working knowledge of HIV/AIDs, its treatment and its prognosis, so you'll have to excuse me if I take your inane lessons with a grain of salt.

In any case, this thread is not about population control. And if it were, there are certainly other ways to address the growth of a population aside from condemning people to death. You have a history of stirring up potentially interesting threads with your inflammatory posts, so let's try to keep this civil.

[Alakazander]

For people who live a healthy lifestyle the chances of getting AIDS in a civilized country

Let's just ignore the 22.5 million people is sub-Saharan Africa. I think the people who live in between several civil wars and who use very much the same technology they did centuries ago can take care of themselves.

But its by no means a cure. And I think they should be expensive, and not available to everybody in the world. The last thing we need is a cure, and even worse would be a cheap cure.

I vote for giving ^this^ guy HIV.


ONTOPIC: I remember something about how you could leave your PS3 on a certain website, and they would use the computing power to try and do things like this. Or maybe it was a joke/rumor. Anyway, things like this are cool.

[crimsonedge]

First, it's "fool proof." Second, I have a decent working knowledge of HIV/AIDs, its treatment and its prognosis, so you'll have to excuse me if I take your inane lessons with a grain of salt.

In any case, this thread is not about population control. And if it were, there are certainly other ways to address the growth of a population aside from condemning people to death. You have a history of stirring up potentially interesting threads with your inflammatory posts, so let's try to keep this civil.

I just shared an opinion even knowing that it wouldn't be popular on here. This thread has a lot to do with AIDS, and I don't want it being cracked or cured, because it is one of natures ways of population control. I will leave my opinion at that, and I stand by it.

Let's just ignore the 22.5 million people is sub-Saharan Africa. I think the people who live in between several civil wars and who use very much the same technology they did centuries ago can take care of themselves.

I agree with that. Those people have also survived just fine for over 60,000 years, and will be just fine on their own.

Are you running for President sir? If not I am still writing your name in.

I vote for giving ^this^ guy HIV.

You would have a better chance in wishing for a falling star to land on me.

[Milady]

Having an opinion and being able to state that opinion in a semi-intelligent manner are two completely different things. I stand by my warning.

[crimsonedge]

Having an opinion and being able to state that opinion in a semi-intelligent manner are two completely different things. I stand by my warning.

Anyone who would have the audacity to say they wouldn't want to see a cure for AIDS must be a moron. Is this what you really mean?

[Alakazander]

You would have a better chance in wishing for a falling star to land on me.

This thread has a lot to do with AIDS, and I don't want it being cracked or cured, because it is one of natures ways of population control. I will leave my opinion at that, and I stand by it.

Fuck nature.
"Nature" does not have a consciousness. "Nature" does not have your best interest at heart.

It is the direct opposition to nature that is the basis of our modern civilization, including the aspects that make your own life one of relative ease, and allowing you to have a decent life expectancy. And now you want to restrict certain solutions simply because it is not your problem?