The Examined Life

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LuckyR
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by LuckyR »

Sculptor1 wrote: September 1st, 2020, 5:41 pm
Angel Trismegistus wrote: September 1st, 2020, 1:45 pm
What is your point, sir? That mosquitoes should not be killed? That mosquitoes should be killed? Or is it your point that either way you object?
What a narrow minded response. It seems you are unaware of the history of this topic.
I'm saying that mosquito nets are cheap and have reduced the incidence of malaria and dengue enourmously when provided charitably.
More draconian attempts to rid the planet of mosquitos have shown to be environmentally disasterous, such as oiling bodies of water, and the use of insecticides has increased resistance to them, resulting in stronger mossies.
We are going to have to live side-by side.
That's so 1940s, propane magnets and releasing mosquitoes with gene drive will eliminate mosquitoes.
"As usual... it depends."
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Angel Trismegistus
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Angel Trismegistus »

________________THE GREAT CHAIN OF BEING________________
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__________________#SAVE THE MOSQUITO__________________
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Sculptor1
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sculptor1 »

LuckyR wrote: September 2nd, 2020, 1:15 am
Sculptor1 wrote: September 1st, 2020, 5:41 pm
What a narrow minded response. It seems you are unaware of the history of this topic.
I'm saying that mosquito nets are cheap and have reduced the incidence of malaria and dengue enourmously when provided charitably.
More draconian attempts to rid the planet of mosquitos have shown to be environmentally disasterous, such as oiling bodies of water, and the use of insecticides has increased resistance to them, resulting in stronger mossies.
We are going to have to live side-by side.
That's so 1940s, propane magnets and releasing mosquitoes with gene drive will eliminate mosquitoes.
It has not worked and the idea of it is doomed to failure. It can only have a temporary effect to reduce number it is simply not effective in erradication. Genetically altered mosquitos cannot, by definition last till the next season leaving only viable ones to repopulate. The "solution" is expensive high tech nonsense.
Give me my night net anytime.
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LuckyR
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by LuckyR »

Sculptor1 wrote: September 2nd, 2020, 2:11 pm
LuckyR wrote: September 2nd, 2020, 1:15 am

That's so 1940s, propane magnets and releasing mosquitoes with gene drive will eliminate mosquitoes.
It has not worked and the idea of it is doomed to failure. It can only have a temporary effect to reduce number it is simply not effective in erradication. Genetically altered mosquitos cannot, by definition last till the next season leaving only viable ones to repopulate. The "solution" is expensive high tech nonsense.
Give me my night net anytime.
You sound unfamiliar with gene drives. Your red sentance is out of date.
"As usual... it depends."
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Sculptor1
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sculptor1 »

LuckyR wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 12:57 am
Sculptor1 wrote: September 2nd, 2020, 2:11 pm

It has not worked and the idea of it is doomed to failure. It can only have a temporary effect to reduce number it is simply not effective in erradication. Genetically altered mosquitos cannot, by definition last till the next season leaving only viable ones to repopulate. The "solution" is expensive high tech nonsense.
Give me my night net anytime.
You sound unfamiliar with gene drives. Your red sentance is out of date.
I think not. Why not explain why you think that.
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Angel Trismegistus
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Angel Trismegistus »

Sculptor1 wrote: September 1st, 2020, 5:51 pm
Sculptor1 wrote: September 1st, 2020, 5:44 pm As for the "only good mosquito". That's rubbish too, since Of the three species categories only one the Ades carries the diseases that are harmful.
This depends on where in the world you are.
Anopheles carries malaria.
Mossies themselves are harmless except for a bit of irritation. Its only in areas where the disease is present, and the right type of mossy exists are there dangers.
Anopheles is common as is malaria in Africa and other places in the tropics for example.

Most european bites are harmless, aslo true in most temperate areas.
Where is the post you quote here? It does not appear in the chain of posts to this thread. Strange.

By the bye, since you have deigned to welcome the newcomer with a rip-roaring philclub Halloo, while you're here, perhaps you will deign to answer -- some might say dare to answer -- the moral conundrum raised by your stalwart position vis-a-vis the mosquito, to wit:

If you were faced with the choice of saving the life of a mosquito or a land slug, which would you save? And for heaven's sake why?
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Sculptor1
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sculptor1 »

Angel Trismegistus wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:00 am If you were faced with the choice of saving the life of a mosquito or a land slug, which would you save? And for heaven's sake why?
An odd question. So odd in fact that I do not see any reason to answer it. Hypotheticals have to be at least possible.

My answer would be depends.
If I were trying to grow lettuce in a temperate zone the mosquito wins.
If I were in the tropics admiring a large land snail and a mosquito were trying to bite me, the snal wins.
Have you anything to conclude from that?
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Angel Trismegistus
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Angel Trismegistus »

Sculptor1 wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:26 am
Angel Trismegistus wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:00 am If you were faced with the choice of saving the life of a mosquito or a land slug, which would you save? And for heaven's sake why?
An odd question. So odd in fact that I do not see any reason to answer it. Hypotheticals have to be at least possible.

My answer would be depends.
If I were trying to grow lettuce in a temperate zone the mosquito wins.
If I were in the tropics admiring a large land snail and a mosquito were trying to bite me, the snal wins.
Have you anything to conclude from that?
The only thing any reasonable person can conclude from your reply is evasion. Look, man, you're supposed to be a philosopher. and so you must be acquainred with trolley scenarios in ethics. A trolley is bearing down on a mosquiro and a land slug. You are equidistant from both. You can only save one. Which do you save?
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Sculptor1
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sculptor1 »

Angel Trismegistus wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:34 am
Sculptor1 wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:26 am

An odd question. So odd in fact that I do not see any reason to answer it. Hypotheticals have to be at least possible.

My answer would be depends.
If I were trying to grow lettuce in a temperate zone the mosquito wins.
If I were in the tropics admiring a large land snail and a mosquito were trying to bite me, the snal wins.
Have you anything to conclude from that?
The only thing any reasonable person can conclude from your reply is evasion. Look, man, you're supposed to be a philosopher. and so you must be acquainred with trolley scenarios in ethics. A trolley is bearing down on a mosquiro and a land slug. You are equidistant from both. You can only save one. Which do you save?
What a dumb stupid scenario.
I answered the question far more informatively than you expected and you call it evasion,
Take your brain for a walk, read a book or something.
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Sculptor1
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sculptor1 »

Angel Trismegistus wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:34 am
Sculptor1 wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:26 am

An odd question. So odd in fact that I do not see any reason to answer it. Hypotheticals have to be at least possible.

My answer would be depends.
If I were trying to grow lettuce in a temperate zone the mosquito wins.
If I were in the tropics admiring a large land snail and a mosquito were trying to bite me, the snal wins.
Have you anything to conclude from that?
The only thing any reasonable person can conclude from your reply is evasion. Look, man, you're supposed to be a philosopher. and so you must be acquainred with trolley scenarios in ethics. A trolley is bearing down on a mosquiro and a land slug. You are equidistant from both. You can only save one. Which do you save?
#
Since you insist.
Neither. I do not care enough about either to make a choice.
I simply will not move a muscle to help.
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Sy Borg
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sy Borg »

Angel Trismegistus wrote: July 30th, 2020, 2:39 am So I'm here to see if the Socratic mandate may not be carried forward to a degree by way of anonymous virtual repartee, or failing that, at least to pass time in a harmless enough fashion while waiting for the world to end.

I was born, raised, and still reside in New York City. I've been interested in the philosophy of things since I was five years old though I did not understand my interest in these terms until I was a teenager.

I'm a vegetarian.

I love cats. I love dogs too of course. All animals in fact. Including insects.

About human beings I have mixed feelings.
Agreed. Animals and plants are terribly underestimated by us hominids lost our meta realities. Then, on our deathbeds, we start to actually notice the reality so long hidden by duty and habit. Then come the regrets at wasting time with BS and being oblivious to the awesomeness of this extraordinary world/solar system/galaxy/universe of which we are part.

The trouble with humans is power. Most other animals have little power (these days) and so they tend to be easy, even delightful, for us to be around. By contrast, humans are large, strong, smart and pushy. The only easy ones to be around are those who embrace reason. Unreasonable humans are, at best, absurd and at worst, a nightmare.

As for the Tiny Trolley Problem above, where one decides whether to save a mosquito or a slug, I have saved snails stuck on dry ground but slugs found on my mint plant fared less well. Mozzies play a role in helping to control populations of host species and acting as food for other insects, spiders, frogs and small lizards - but I'm not going to save any mozzie lives. If I see one caught in a web I feel grateful towards the spider.

Still, Angel, mozzies may lack charm, they do at least kill more humans than any other species, so credit where it's due ;)
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Angel Trismegistus
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Angel Trismegistus »

Sculptor1 wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 3:29 pm
Angel Trismegistus wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 5:34 am
The only thing any reasonable person can conclude from your reply is evasion. Look, man, you're supposed to be a philosopher. and so you must be acquainred with trolley scenarios in ethics. A trolley is bearing down on a mosquiro and a land slug. You are equidistant from both. You can only save one. Which do you save?
#
Since you insist.
Neither. I do not care enough about either to make a choice.
I simply will not move a muscle to help.
There you go! You should think about letting the good sport in you out for air more often.
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Angel Trismegistus
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Angel Trismegistus »

Greta wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 6:13 pm...As for the Tiny Trolley Problem above, where one decides whether to save a mosquito or a slug, I have saved snails stuck on dry ground but slugs found on my mint plant fared less well. Mozzies play a role in helping to control populations of host species and acting as food for other insects, spiders, frogs and small lizards - but I'm not going to save any mozzie lives. If I see one caught in a web I feel grateful towards the spider.

Still, Angel, mozzies may lack charm, they do at least kill more humans than any other species, so credit where it's due ;)
This is why I Ozzies!
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Sculptor1
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sculptor1 »

Angel Trismegistus wrote: September 4th, 2020, 2:37 am
Sculptor1 wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 3:29 pm
#
Since you insist.
Neither. I do not care enough about either to make a choice.
I simply will not move a muscle to help.
There you go! You should think about letting the good sport in you out for air more often.
Same back to you re the other thread.
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Sculptor1
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Re: The Examined Life

Post by Sculptor1 »

Greta wrote: September 3rd, 2020, 6:13 pmer.

Still, Angel, mozzies may lack charm, they do at least kill more humans than any other species, so credit where it's due ;)
Mozzies alone are completely harmless, just giving a bit of inflammation, to those that are sensitive, whilst taking a little blood.
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