Welcome to “necroprinting”—3D printer nozzle made from mosquito’s proboscis

They're quite a bit cheaper than manufactured nozzles if you can dissect them.

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[shodanbo]

Tell that again to the poor dispensable undergrads used to feed them in the lab!

Ok class, look to your left, look to your right, now look at yourself.

33% percent of you will expire from exsanguination before the semester is over.

Good luck!

 

[Dark Jaguar]

Ok class, look to your left, look to your right, now look at yourself.

33% percent of you will expire from exsanguination before the semester is over.

Good luck!

I think the way that's supposed to be phrased is "one of you three will exsanguinate". If you're just going to say the percent, no point in saying "look to your left and right".

 

[Korios]

This job sucks, but someone has to do it.

 

[Paul_in_Maine_USA]

leather gaskets were a thing

Industry RAN on leather belting until electric motor prices came down enough to use one motor per lathe or drillpress. Belts a foot wide and 20 feet between centers were made from multiple whole steer-skins. Many whales died to lubricate fine machinery (even to GM transmission fluid past 1950).

 

[Chuckstar]

Industry RAN on leather belting until electric motor prices came down enough to use one motor per lathe or drillpress. Belts a foot wide and 20 feet between centers were made from multiple whole steer-skins. Many whales died to lubricate fine machinery (even to GM transmission fluid past 1950).

Don’t those all represent materials rather than parts? Granted I can come up with examples where one wouldn’t make such a distinction: ram’s horn as a signaling device, for instance.

 

[randomname19937]

Eradicating all mosquitoes because they vector malaria parasites is like culling all pigs because they vector spirochetes. Gene drive the plasmodium instead.

Nah, I'd eradicate them because they're bloodsucking little fuckers. Getting rid of malaria would be just a bonus.

 

[Veritas super omens]

Nah, I'd eradicate them because they're bloodsucking little fuckers. Getting rid of malaria would be just a bonus.

By that logic we should get rid of the GOP. Hmmm...you may be onto something.

 

[dehildum]

Two points:
1. There are mosquito species that don't feed on humans.
2. Only the female mosquitos drink blood. The males drink nectar. I wonder if cloning just males would be economically feasible.

As I recall:
1. Mosquitos evolved from an ancestor that feed on plant sap. Many still do.
2. Not really cloning needed. We already breed sterilized male mosquitoes to help control the population, so it can be done economically.

Eradicating all mosquitoes because they vector malaria parasites is like culling all pigs because they vector spirochetes. Gene drive the plasmodium instead.

We would not need to eradicate all mosquitoes, there are not that many species that carry diseases dangerous to humans. Less than ten, I think, and possibly less than five species. However, I don't think you will be able to eradicate any - there was a plan in some place in the US (cannot remember where) to try to eradicate the local aedes population, which was opposed by a less than thoughtful environmental group on the grounds that it would damage the local ecology. What they misunderstood was a) Aedes is an invasive species outside of Egypt, and b) there were other species of mosquito in that same niche that were native and did not carry diseases. They were successful in stopping the planned eradication.

 

[dehildum]

Years ago, in college, I witnessed a kindred spirit of yours trying to overcome your mutual fear.

The large complex of dormitories I lived in that year had a blood drive at some point, with the dorm that produced the most pints of blood getting pizza as a reward. There was one young woman who, in spite of a fear of needles that she copped to when she entered with her friends. The staff assured her that they could work with her if she wanted to try to donate... and asked her if she knew what her blood type was? She didn't, so they poked her finger for a drop of blood to type.

She immediately paled, but (barely) managed to remain sitting up. "Oh, don't worry dear," said one of the phlebotomists, "we don't need your blood that bad."

The pizza wasn't great, but it was 'free' (for my dorm, anyway.)

Depends on your type. I'm O- making me a universal donor, so I am quite popular, especially when I lived in Asia where it is really rare. It also meant that were I in a serious accident there, they would have a real problem finding blood I could take.

 

[Chuckstar]

As I recall:
1. Mosquitos evolved from an ancestor that feed on plant sap. Many still do.
2. Not really cloning needed. We already breed sterilized male mosquitoes to help control the population, so it can be done economically.

We would not need to eradicate all mosquitoes, there are not that many species that carry diseases dangerous to humans. Less than ten, I think, and possibly less than five species. However, I don't think you will be able to eradicate any - there was a plan in some place in the US (cannot remember where) to try to eradicate the local aedes population, which was opposed by a less than thoughtful environmental group on the grounds that it would damage the local ecology. What they misunderstood was a) Aedes is an invasive species outside of Egypt, and b) there were other species of mosquito in that same niche that were native and did not carry diseases. They were successful in stopping the planned eradication.

There are way more than ten mosquito species that carry human pathogens. There are over 40 mosquito species that carry West Nile Encephalitis alone. There are probably a hundred mosquito species that are known to carry human pathogens, and no way of telling which others might be able to that we haven’t tested.

 

[Veritas super omens]

There are way more than ten mosquito species that carry human pathogens. There are over 40 mosquito species that carry West Nile Encephalitis alone. There are probably a hundred mosquito species that are known to carry human pathogens, and no way of telling which others might be able to that we haven’t tested.

Bolding mine:

RFKj et al are undoubtedly working on that so they can be added to the endangered species act...probably...

RFKj, motto: I've never heard of an infectious disease I don't want everyone to have...

 

[artvandelayIIII]

I'm not disagreeing there, and leather is just one example, but hear me out... it's a special kind of nightmare to breed one of humanity's oldest threats and then promise they won't cause problems if they get released. Frankly human targeting parasites are the kinds of creatures I'm entirely okay with driving to extinction.

Mosquitos are part of the ecosystem, as awful as they are to us. Not sure it's a great idea to say "hey, sorry bats, but fuck you we're killing this source of food" for example.

 

[buzzword]

If you could get the mosquitoes to supply their own ink, you'd really be onto something.