Should the Last Remaining Samples of Smallpox Be Destroyed? - Polidicks

[QUOTE=wallyroberto_2;44812999]Keep it for research. Those labs are locked down so tight I'd be surprised if it ever spread from the lab to the public.[/QUOTE] See its all well and good saying this but this is [B]exactly[/B] how there was an out break of foot and mouth in the UK a couple of years back, it leaked out of a lab. Admittedly I assume whoever is storing smallpox has a better set up but it [I]can[/I] happen. Not that it should stop us storing it of course, its vitally important that it is kept just in case.

[QUOTE=Jsm;44815458]See its all well and good saying this but this is [B]exactly[/B] how there was an out break of foot and mouth in the UK a couple of years back, it leaked out of a lab. Admittedly I assume whoever is storing smallpox has a better set up but it [I]can[/I] happen. Not that it should stop us storing it of course, its vitally important that it is kept just in case.[/QUOTE] A while back the Russians had a leak at a lab and anthrax got out, luckily it wasn't too bad all things considered but let's just keep in mind that even the people who are supposed to know what they're doing can still fuck up catastrophically. [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sverdlovsk_anthrax_leak[/url]

[QUOTE=Wii60;44813096]once again this law comes into effect[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines"] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines[/URL][/QUOTE] The law of headlines isn't a way of settling debates that happen to be presented in the form of a question ya dweeb

At first I was thinking we should destroy it all, but you all make good points. It may be of use to us in the future in some way.

I doubt even if there's an agreement to completely destroy smallpox they will destroy every sample. The chance of it being kept as a biological weapon is pretty high, or waiting to be mutated into one.

[QUOTE=Azza;44816412]I doubt even if there's an agreement to completely destroy smallpox they will destroy every sample. The chance of it being kept as a biological weapon is pretty high, or waiting to be mutated into one.[/QUOTE] i imagine there are far better candidates for GM biological weapons

[QUOTE=BrainDeath;44816798]i imagine there are far better candidates for GM biological weapons[/QUOTE] Yeah, but that thing is pretty nasty off the self, no shit. Personally, I want to keep it around. Because I am very skeptical that this is the last; the state of the Biopreparat program at the end of the Cold war was simply terrible (Keeping [i]Y. pestis[/i] in pea tins, anyone?).

[QUOTE=Zero-Point;44813378]Smallpox is a virus, yo.[/QUOTE] and viruses are used in anti-bacterial research a lot (bacteriophages)

[QUOTE=Eltro102;44819705]and viruses are used in anti-bacterial research a lot (bacteriophages)[/QUOTE] Wrong kind of virus. Now, cancer research, that's another kettle of fish.

It belongs in a museum.

Poor smallpox. If it was named something fun like Disco Fever we wouldn't be having this conversation. Oooh, or Cocoa Pox. It's a pun, and as a bonus smallpox sufferers also look like their skin is turning into breakfast cereal so it works both ways. Not much of a bonus for people dying of smallpox obviously but you've got to keep a sense of humour about things.

no because when this happens we may need it: [img]http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=HN.607993719439230007&pid=1.7[/img]

[QUOTE=thelurker1234;44812935]What is the meaning of life?[/QUOTE] Well what I've come up with can be reduced to two fundamental concepts. One: People are not wearing enough hats. Two: Matter is energy. In the Universe there are many energy fields which we cannot normally perceive. Some energies have a spiritual source which act upon a person's soul. However, this soul does not exist *ab inito*, as orthodox Christianity teaches; it has to be brought into existence by a process of guided self-observation. However, this is rarely achieved owing to man's unique ability to be distracted from spiritual matters by everyday trivia. Hope that answers your question.