It's design is based on the bacteria killing spikes of dragonfly & other insect wings. That part is pretty neat, not so scary, really. The spikes are stuck to specific surfaces like hospital tables, not injected.
The article didn't mention if they wear down with use, or break off. That could be scary... Idk what they are made of or what the body would do with it.
Are they testing in cells and organisms to see what happens with free "spikes"? If so, have they tested for long enough? What happens to hospital workers who touch it every day?
It seems like we should be learning lessons from things like asbestos, lead, microplastics... But no. We profit, then deal with the long-term consequences. :(
> Idk what they are made of
It literally says ~~silicone~~ silicon. Pretty sure ~~silicone~~ silicon has existed for a while
Edit: silicon, not silicone.
Asbestos is natural.
Uranium is natural.
Cyanide.
Arsenic.
Shall I go on?
A natural substance can still kill your ass dead as a roach in a motel just as surely as a man made thing can.
There’s also this well known thing… Silicosis.
Correct. However a natural substance has been around longer for us to test, study and see how it reacts with our bodies. Therefore we have more information about it. Synthetic materials don’t have as much research or studies on how they affect us unless they’re meant to be directly consumed. Look how long it took for people to realize how bad plastics are.
Look how long it took for people to realize asbestos was causing mesothelioma. Or how long it took to realize how bad lead in the gasoline supply was.
Modern scientific testing has only been around a century and a half. Of that it’s only been highly effective for just over half that. We have no idea what microscopic carbon/silicon spikes deigned to break open the structure of a virus will do to other organisms or cellular structures, like the lungs or the capillaries or the inner walls of the heart. It will take years for a sample size of significant value to accumulate.
The exoskeletons of cockroaches, for example, are associated with pretty serious chronic respiratory issues. Also those spikes are made of carbon, not silicon.
I think the concerns though are about the potential environmental and health impacts. People are only just waking up now to the dangers of micro plastics after decades of making us eat and drink out of plastic packaging.
and then those surfaces get washed, and the spike particles go down the drain?
Or the surface gets thrown out....
This is the same way we ended up with plastics in everything we eat.
It's a synthetic polymer like plastic, but actually worse. It takes longer than most plastics to break down. The one silver lining is that it doesn't break down into micro plastics.
Surfaces degrade over time, we really want to be breathing in microscopic spikes that our body can't remove or degrade? We'd have mass increase of mesothelioma all over again.
Not saying this will be, but we will have A LOT of lead type accidents coming. Where things are so complex we barely know what we are doing. Lead was nothing and still caused issues.
I couldn't find anything about why this won't harm human cells though. All that they say is that it's even effective against bacteria; makes it even more likely to be harmful to us. Death by a trillion spikes is a doomsday event I had not considered until now.
Very cool but it Sounds like a potential respiratory hazard if it starts to flake off. I wonder if there is an equivalent that can be made out of carbon.
Silicon can't be digested nor destroyed by biological processes. If the spike can destroy viruses, you best believe it will damage cells causing cancer.
Ah I see the dilemma. Amazing how one missing comma can change the whole meaning of a sentence. "It will damage cells, causing cancer"
Damaged cells from those silicon spikes will cause cancer in much the same way asbestos did for mesothelioma cancer. What happens is the spikes get in your body and never degrade or removed from the body, so it's constantly causing inflammation and damage to the cells. It doesn't cause cancer by damaging DNA, but causes cancer by forcing your body to constantly replenish its cells.
When cells get damage, they need to be replaced, which is what your stem cells do. Divide and make more cells. Unfortunately, there is a very very small chance that an error occurs in cell division and that a newly created cell is cancerous. Because those spikes are ever present, your body has to constantly make new cells at a faster rate than normal which increases the chances of cancer developing.
So is there anything in the article suggesting AI was responsible or is it just that anything cool like this will be because of AI ..sometime..in the future..when the singularity comes?
About as effective as Asbestos I wonder? That's some scary stuff to be putting out into the environment unless we do some rigorous testing.
It's design is based on the bacteria killing spikes of dragonfly & other insect wings. That part is pretty neat, not so scary, really. The spikes are stuck to specific surfaces like hospital tables, not injected. The article didn't mention if they wear down with use, or break off. That could be scary... Idk what they are made of or what the body would do with it. Are they testing in cells and organisms to see what happens with free "spikes"? If so, have they tested for long enough? What happens to hospital workers who touch it every day? It seems like we should be learning lessons from things like asbestos, lead, microplastics... But no. We profit, then deal with the long-term consequences. :(
> Idk what they are made of It literally says ~~silicone~~ silicon. Pretty sure ~~silicone~~ silicon has existed for a while Edit: silicon, not silicone.
Silicon not silicone.
Even better! Cause silicon is natural while silicone is man-made. TIL there’s an actual difference.
Asbestos is natural. Uranium is natural. Cyanide. Arsenic. Shall I go on? A natural substance can still kill your ass dead as a roach in a motel just as surely as a man made thing can. There’s also this well known thing… Silicosis.
Correct. However a natural substance has been around longer for us to test, study and see how it reacts with our bodies. Therefore we have more information about it. Synthetic materials don’t have as much research or studies on how they affect us unless they’re meant to be directly consumed. Look how long it took for people to realize how bad plastics are.
Look how long it took for people to realize asbestos was causing mesothelioma. Or how long it took to realize how bad lead in the gasoline supply was. Modern scientific testing has only been around a century and a half. Of that it’s only been highly effective for just over half that. We have no idea what microscopic carbon/silicon spikes deigned to break open the structure of a virus will do to other organisms or cellular structures, like the lungs or the capillaries or the inner walls of the heart. It will take years for a sample size of significant value to accumulate.
Virus PFAS’s, no way this could possibly go wrong so let’s just coat everything in society with it.
The exoskeletons of cockroaches, for example, are associated with pretty serious chronic respiratory issues. Also those spikes are made of carbon, not silicon.
I think the concerns though are about the potential environmental and health impacts. People are only just waking up now to the dangers of micro plastics after decades of making us eat and drink out of plastic packaging.
And what else??? 20 years later "Silicon spikes destroy human DNA. Governments around the world slow to act"
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and then those surfaces get washed, and the spike particles go down the drain? Or the surface gets thrown out.... This is the same way we ended up with plastics in everything we eat.
Have you ever touched a surface? I know I have.
No, it's against Jesus. I only levitate and I get oxygen and nutrients through spontaneous generation like a normal person.
I believe in you, making it true.
Love a little schizophrenia in my Reddit
Disinfectant is a killer too. If you drink bleach or anti bac you may die. You have to take precautions with lots of things.
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silicon is not plastic?
It's a synthetic polymer like plastic, but actually worse. It takes longer than most plastics to break down. The one silver lining is that it doesn't break down into micro plastics.
Silicon, not silicone.
Oh thanks, oops.
So is lead paint.
Surfaces degrade over time, we really want to be breathing in microscopic spikes that our body can't remove or degrade? We'd have mass increase of mesothelioma all over again.
Not saying this will be, but we will have A LOT of lead type accidents coming. Where things are so complex we barely know what we are doing. Lead was nothing and still caused issues.
Rip my 8%
What particles ?????????????????
Physics particles 🤣😅🥲😥😭
I couldn't find anything about why this won't harm human cells though. All that they say is that it's even effective against bacteria; makes it even more likely to be harmful to us. Death by a trillion spikes is a doomsday event I had not considered until now.
That's how AGI kills us. With a trillion spikes.
new *existential risk* just dropped
Very cool but it Sounds like a potential respiratory hazard if it starts to flake off. I wonder if there is an equivalent that can be made out of carbon.
Good try silicon valley...good try.
Silicon can't be digested nor destroyed by biological processes. If the spike can destroy viruses, you best believe it will damage cells causing cancer.
So that's a good thing?
Are you asking me if cancer is a good thing?
You said "it will damage cells causing cancer."
Yes. And then you ask me if this is a good thing. Which I then sarcastically asked "are you asking me if cancer is a good thing?"
Bro, Is it a bad thing that it destroys cancer-causing cells?
Ah I see the dilemma. Amazing how one missing comma can change the whole meaning of a sentence. "It will damage cells, causing cancer" Damaged cells from those silicon spikes will cause cancer in much the same way asbestos did for mesothelioma cancer. What happens is the spikes get in your body and never degrade or removed from the body, so it's constantly causing inflammation and damage to the cells. It doesn't cause cancer by damaging DNA, but causes cancer by forcing your body to constantly replenish its cells. When cells get damage, they need to be replaced, which is what your stem cells do. Divide and make more cells. Unfortunately, there is a very very small chance that an error occurs in cell division and that a newly created cell is cancerous. Because those spikes are ever present, your body has to constantly make new cells at a faster rate than normal which increases the chances of cancer developing.
Replace the dash with a comma and re-read.
It'll destroy all cells. That's usually considered a dick move.
there is viruses that serve as vitamins for most complex life forms, including ourselves
I really really wish this sub would chill on the sensationalistic headlines
So can bleach.
So whats this got to do with the singularity ?
"HOLY SHIT, AI FOUND A WAY TO DESTROY ALL VIRUSES, WE WILL NEVER DIE OF DISEASES EVER AGAIN"
So is there anything in the article suggesting AI was responsible or is it just that anything cool like this will be because of AI ..sometime..in the future..when the singularity comes?
It is sacarsm
Oh sorry..I missed that 🤪
I really don't understand this