points by estearum 21 hours ago | 0 comments
Do you apply this same logic to GoF research increasing contagiousness or lethality of viruses? Is there any limit to this argument, and if so how do we define it?
[–] creatonez 21 hours ago
[–] estearum 20 hours ago
I didn't ask "are most virologists terrified of gain-of-function research the way the public is"
I'm not even necessarily against GoF research, and I mostly agree with all of your points.
I'm asking about GP's logic.
[–] poopingatwork 19 hours ago
Software sandbox environments are far easier to manage than real world environments where life operates.
I think different standards can apply.
[–] estearum 19 hours ago
I don't see how the "you should want to know all avenues of exploit" goal is different depending on how many avenues of exploit there are
[–] poopingatwork 18 hours ago
They're just relevant to each other.
You should want to know avenues of exploit so you can be defensive with security. You have little control over the offensive side of vulnerability exploitation.
[–] estearum 15 hours ago
Right, so why would that not be a justification for essentially unbounded GoF research?
[–] poopingatwork 14 hours ago
How much should you spend on security?
Both lines of research are limited by some sense of waste: in time or money.
When should you stop? When some acceptable standard is reached and a certain amount of risk is accepted.
In the case of GoF, if it wasn't somehow profitable, then the research would likely cease to exist.
- BSL4 is really, really stringent, and these requirements and review processes are strictly regulated across the board
- Most modifications researchers are actually capable of, nature is capable of producing something way scarier. Researchers are making tiny tweaks in comparison to the zoonotic exposure in everyday life that has brought us viruses that do things we never imagined
- Most gain of function tweaks weaken some other aspect, for example the way contagiousness and lethality are at odds
- It's considered rather unlikely that COVID-19 came about via gain of function research, despite how much the public wants this to be true
- It is quite useful for research, a lot is learned by doing it