Comment by iacvlvs | Hacker News Reader

Comment by iacvlvs | Hacker News Reader

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We're already working on a mosquito genocide solution. Ever since the Nature article ( http://www.nature.com/news/2010/100721/full/466432a.html ) about how the ecosystem would be fine without mosquitoes I've seen a number of mosquito genocide solutions that just yell "mad scientist".

We're using lasers http://www.physorg.com/news185463943.html

We're using smelly socks http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-07/sock-science-f...

We're tricking them into drinking poison http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/27/health/27mosquito.html

We're even genetically engineering them to self destruct http://gizmodo.com/5852703/mosquitoes-genetically+engineered...

It's a bad time to be a mosquito.

(Also, I think this is how a Starship Troopers / Ender's Game scenario starts.)

A quick search on the Internet for the downside of such a genocide has yielded no results. Would you care to give some pointers or explanations if you have any?

I'm a firm believer that all actions have consequences and even if presented with "proves" that a mosquito genocide is without risks for the environment as a whole, I still wouldn't believe it totally.

For instance, mosquitos are traditionally eaten by Geckos (Mourning Gecko) in SEA which can be found in very large quantities. People mostly don't pay attention to them (although some people are scared of them) and couldn't care less when they emit their "weird sounds".

Such a large quantity of Geckos is abundant food for all sort of animals such as snakes, birds, and whatnot.

I'm not even a scientist so I really don't know why I'm following this obvious path unless an outreach of creationism has blind-folded actual the scientists?

Species die out every day, and they will continue to do so with our without our help. That's natural selection. Deliberate genocide is an irrevocable step in theory, but with something as ubiquitous as the mosquito it's unlikely to ever be completely successful.

That said, it's doubtful their extinction would cause any other species immediate trouble. What it will do is save hundreds of millions of human lives.

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