Well so it begins.

  • nicerdicer@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    On first glance it seems that this worm was brought back to life with scientific intervention exclusively. But with the disappearence of permafrost these worms will thaw on their own and will resume living and procreating. What I want to say is, that many species of these ice-aged worms may be alive already without anyone noticing, trough permafrost has been thawed away. Who knows what impact these worms will have on our recent fauna and flora?

  • Boddhisatva@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    This is kind of like time travel in a way. If one were to go back in time, you would mainly need to worry about the diseases and parasites you bring back with you. You are descended from those who learned to survive the diseases of the past so you are likely to have some resistance to it. You wouldn’t be perfectly safe of course, but not likely at more risk than if you stayed in your own time.

    On the other hand, if you travel forward in time, like this nematode did, you are entering a realm that is full of virus, bacteria, and even fungus that have had decades to learn new tricks to survive that you would have no inherent resistance to.

    The chance of there being some sleeping time bomb in the permafrost seems low to me since everything alive today is descended from those who survived that germ or parasite in the past.

    • expatriado@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      time travel in a way

      maybe worms know a thing or two about traveling through space-time wormholes

    • nicerdicer@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      Good point. I never thaught about it this way. Maybe these nematodes will not introduce diseases. But will they suppress recent fauna? Will these worms displace current worms or other species on a microbiological level? Or maybe these worms have a cure for recent diseases?

    • EtherWhack@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      They could have also just been endemic to that area, and a host’s resistance possibly linked to a recessive gene. (like sickle cell and malaria in Africa) Following their period of removal from the environment, and with the traveling and immigration of humans and other animals, those genes could be dominated by another form or missing altogether.

    • TIEPilot@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      We need Kurt Russell ASAP w/ a sombrero and a helo.

      /I bought that sombrero, 600$. I can’t afford a helo sorry to say. But I want to cosplay his character. Great movie!

    • Bakachu@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Sad to say but it’d almost be fitting that we get taken out by our own brain-eating selves after all the bullshit we’ve unleashed on this planet.

    • Vicky@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The implication is terrifying. I hope there isn’t a super-AIDS frozen in there

    • Nalivai@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      It will defrost itself soon enough anyway. It’s better to prepare in advance, there will be no such thing as permafrost in a couple of decades.

  • Gomez@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    One thing is for certain, there is no stopping them. The worms will soon be here.

    And I for one welcome our new insect overlords.

    I can be helpful in rounding up others to toil in their underground sugar caves.

    • 99nights@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Excellent show. It’s very underrated, especially the early seasons. Got my friend into it and he’s very picky when it comes to everything basically lol.