Genesis-Wildfire

Sander Vesik wrote:
Ian Stirling wrote:
"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:
snip
This has been considered before.

For one thing, consider lifeforms on earth. Very few infectious agents are
effective outside of their host species. Rabies, the flu and leprosy are
three of the few that come to mind and leprosy isn't lethal (I think) in
armidillos.

And they all have DNA or RNA in common. So far we haven't seen any
lifeforms that don't contain DNA or RNA. So now the big question is... is
RNA/DNA unique to Earth or not? If so, it's doubtful that any other
lifeforms could infect us. If not, then it's more likely. However, as
they've been evolved in the absence of human hosts, it's again unlikely that
they can successfully be infectious to humans.

Exactly the same argument could be made as to why nothing can infect
culture mediums.
They have no DNA/RNA, and are just jelly with some sugars and stuff.

Like say 'flesh eating bacteria' (with flesh being live human flesh).

Flesh eating bacteria is nasty, but it is presumably drastically slowed
by the immune system.

The worst case is that we get hit by something so alien that all the
immune responses are simply irrelevant, as it does not have cells based
on the same compounds, and are just bags of impure water with handy trace
elements.

Immune responses can be relevant at least n principle to nearly anything
as nearly anything can be either shredded or accumulated for disposal by it.

True.
Given time.
But a lot of the rapid response (as I understand it) is pretty much only
going to work on terran stuff.

A lot of the poisons used to attempt to kill the attacking organism,
and the ways that they are recognised as attacking in the first place are
geared to work on earth stuff.

Other responses may work for irritant or just toxic particles, but
for stuff that's actually trying to eat you, it probably won't.
(this is far outside my field)

Ian Stirling wrote:
Sander Vesik wrote:
Ian Stirling wrote:
"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:
snip
This has been considered before.

For one thing, consider lifeforms on earth. Very few infectious agents are
effective outside of their host species. Rabies, the flu and leprosy are
three of the few that come to mind and leprosy isn't lethal (I think) in
armidillos.

And they all have DNA or RNA in common. So far we haven't seen any
lifeforms that don't contain DNA or RNA. So now the big question is... is
RNA/DNA unique to Earth or not? If so, it's doubtful that any other
lifeforms could infect us. If not, then it's more likely. However, as
they've been evolved in the absence of human hosts, it's again unlikely that
they can successfully be infectious to humans.

Exactly the same argument could be made as to why nothing can infect
culture mediums.
They have no DNA/RNA, and are just jelly with some sugars and stuff.

Like say 'flesh eating bacteria' (with flesh being live human flesh).

Flesh eating bacteria is nasty, but it is presumably drastically slowed
by the immune system.

Maybe - its just an analogous situation to something pretty much using
parts of humans as culture medium.


The worst case is that we get hit by something so alien that all the
immune responses are simply irrelevant, as it does not have cells based
on the same compounds, and are just bags of impure water with handy trace
elements.

Immune responses can be relevant at least n principle to nearly anything
as nearly anything can be either shredded or accumulated for disposal by it.

True.
Given time.
But a lot of the rapid response (as I understand it) is pretty much only
going to work on terran stuff.

A lot of the poisons used to attempt to kill the attacking organism,
and the ways that they are recognised as attacking in the first place are
geared to work on earth stuff.

Other responses may work for irritant or just toxic particles, but
for stuff that's actually trying to eat you, it probably won't.
(this is far outside my field)

Yes. But wold it necessarily try to eat humans? Especially if
it came from Mars?
--
Sander

+++ Out of cheese error +++

Sander Vesik wrote:
Ian Stirling wrote:
Sander Vesik wrote:
Ian Stirling wrote:
"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:
snip
This has been considered before.

For one thing, consider lifeforms on earth. Very few infectious agents are
effective outside of their host species. Rabies, the flu and leprosy are
snip
Exactly the same argument could be made as to why nothing can infect
culture mediums.
They have no DNA/RNA, and are just jelly with some sugars and stuff.

Like say 'flesh eating bacteria' (with flesh being live human flesh).
snip
But a lot of the rapid response (as I understand it) is pretty much only
going to work on terran stuff.

A lot of the poisons used to attempt to kill the attacking organism,
and the ways that they are recognised as attacking in the first place are
geared to work on earth stuff.

Other responses may work for irritant or just toxic particles, but
for stuff that's actually trying to eat you, it probably won't.
(this is far outside my field)

Yes. But wold it necessarily try to eat humans? Especially if
it came from Mars?

Probably not.
If you got something like this, it'll likely eat trees as well as
people.
This is the worst case, pretty much.
If there is significant similarities between the martian (or whatever)
life and earthly ones, that may make it less dangerous.