Singularity Summit – Our Viral Future #SS12

Carl Zimmer who Writes the blog TheLoon, and science fiction and for major magazines talks about Our Viral Future

He talks about Ramses V (pharaoh)
Died of Smallpox, earliest identified case, determined by examining the mummy

Virus – Medawar Virus a piece of bad news wrapped up in a protein

Vaccinate with cow pox and other attenuated or weaker viruses
Smallpox – first virus eliminated
Rinderpest – second virus eliminated (deadly for cows)

Large pool of new viruses in animals
Birds, bats etc..

Use tobacco to make vaccines faster
10**31 viruses
Stack up all viruses and it would go 200 million light years

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