@wildgrass saidOh wow, that has got to be one of the more loony theories. "We think it probable that this contained embedded within it a monoculture of infective 2019-nCoV virus particles"? Really? Based on what? And what on earth would 2019-nCoV virus particles be doing in a meteor! And what is the theory of how did they got inside the meteor!? Where they put there by aliens? Or by the Trump administration just to spite China? I would like to know how they could 'arrange' that! Or by some natural process!? If so, what natural process did that!?
I can't believe this one didn't make the list. In my book it's by far the best conspiracy theory on COVID-19.
[quote]In October last year a fragment of a comet exploded in a brief flash in North East China. We think it probable that this contained embedded within it a monoculture of infective 2019-nCoV virus particles that survived in the interior of the incandescent met ...[text shortened]... d/1240664/coronavirus-news-latest-china-origin-meteorite-scientists-health-warning-death-toll-latest
Did somebody put it in the meteors by accident!? -If so, I would love to hear the theory of how so!
If it was meant as a bioweapon it would beg the question why didn't the designers of the virus genetically engineer it to be much more effective by making it both much more infectious and much more lethal? I mean, just ~3% of people that catch it die of it? That's just pathetic as a bioweapon! They must really suck at genetic engineering?
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30 Apr 20
@joe-shmo saidFnord.
Not everyone can be in the "super secret club". Its more than just brains. These type of "people" have been behind the scenes since the dawning of civilization itself. They are the masters of the ant farm, they probably don't let very many ants in the club.
30 Apr 20
@humy said
Oh wow, that has got to be one of the more loony theories. "We think it probable that this contained embedded within it a monoculture of infective 2019-nCoV virus particles"? Really? Based on what? And what on earth would 2019-nCoV virus particles be doing in a meteor! And what is the theory of how did they got inside the meteor!? Where they put there by aliens? Or by the Trump ...[text shortened]... tch it die of it? That's just pathetic as a bioweapon! They must really suck at genetic engineering?
Really? Based on what?
I'm glad you asked. The person you quoted is the well-known astrobiologist Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe. He is credited with advancing the hypothesis that interstellar dust is composed of organic material, which was indeed later proven to be correct. Since then, he's basically known for saying that many pathogens are extraterrestrial in origin. Mad cow disease, polio, spanish flu etc. He is a proponent of origin of life theories of cosmic ancestry and panspermia. He has also written that the Universe itself is "biologically constructed" which has given some fodder for the creationists out there to hang a hat on.
I don't think he'd say the viral particles were put there by something, just that they are there floating around in space. In October of last year there was a comet that exploded over North East China. If he's right that viruses are abundant in space, that would mean the comet likely contained some. If some survived the explosion they might have made it to earth where a Chinese traveler to Wuhan accidentally inhaled one or two.
Of course the theory is bogus. But kind of a fun idea to kick around, too.
@wildgrass saidHis theory has several big problems.Really? Based on what?
I'm glad you asked. The person you quoted is the well-known astrobiologist Professor Chandra Wickramasinghe. He is credited with advancing the hypothesis that interstellar dust is composed of organic material, which was indeed later proven to be correct. Since then, he's basically known for saying that many pathogens are extraterrestri ...[text shortened]... ly inhaled one or two.
Of course the theory is bogus. But kind of a fun idea to kick around, too.
One of them is that it just seems too much of a big coincidence that the new viruses that emerge often seem closely related to some pre-existing ones (in animals or in people) and often near by or at least very roughly in the same region of the world as the first cases of the first victims of the new virus. If those viruses kept randomly coming from meteors then one wouldn't expect to keep seeing such a coincidence repeatedly cropping up. Obviously the best way to explain such coincidences is simply that the new viruses evolved on Earth from pre-existing viruses on Earth and thus didn't come from outer space.
But I think a much more fundamental problem with the theory is that the viruses, such as the C19, often have apparently evolved with specialized protein spikes to lock on to certain cell receptors found, as far as we are aware, only uniquely and specifically on the surface of human cells and not of any other lifeform. That means if the virus came from meteors then presumably, the virus evolved to specifically attack humans, and not aliens or any other animal, either in outer space or on another planet! But as far as we are aware, there is no human population in outer space or on another planet that would allow such a virus to evolve to attack specifically humans. So how and where did the virus evolve and then how did they get into the meteors? -Oh, I fear I am going to get another stupid 'God did it!' coming!
04 May 20
@humy saidAs i mentioned in the prior post, some have used his musings to argue for a scientific theory of creationism. Especially the biologically-constructed universe idea.
His theory has several big problems.
One of them is that it just seems too much of a big coincidence that the new viruses that emerge often seem closely related to some pre-existing ones (in animals or in people) and often near by or at least very roughly in the same region of the world as the first cases of the first victims of the new virus. If those viruses kept randomly c ...[text shortened]... ow did they get into the meteors? -Oh, I fear I am going to get another stupid 'God did it!' coming!
One of them is that it just seems too much of a big coincidence that the new viruses that emerge often seem closely related to some pre-existing ones (in animals or in people) and often near by or at least very roughly in the same region of the world as the first cases of the first victims of the new virus.
A central tenet of the theory is that space is a common source of existing (non-pandemic and pandemic-causing) viruses. So the commonality would not be a logical problem if this were true.
But I think a much more fundamental problem with the theory is that the viruses, such as the C19, often have apparently evolved with specialized protein spikes to lock on to certain cell receptors found, as far as we are aware, only uniquely and specifically on the surface of human cells and not of any other lifeform.
Of course there has to be a point where a virus that hadn't previously infected a human randomly mutated in a way that allowed it to. Before it infected humans, it did not require a human host for its replication or evolution into a virus capable of human cell infection.
The biggest problem, of course, is that viruses require a host for replication. If viruses are common in space, where are all the outer space hosts?
04 May 20
@humy said
His theory has several big problems.
One of them is that it just seems too much of a big coincidence that the new viruses that emerge often seem closely related to some pre-existing ones (in animals or in people) and often near by or at least very roughly in the same region of the world as the first cases of the first victims of the new virus. If those viruses kept randomly c ...[text shortened]... ow did they get into the meteors? -Oh, I fear I am going to get another stupid 'God did it!' coming!
But I think a much more fundamental problem with the theory is that the viruses, such as the C19, often have apparently evolved with specialized protein spikes to lock on to certain cell receptors found, as far as we are aware, only uniquely and specifically on the surface of human cells and not of any other lifeform.I think the ACE2 protein is pretty ubiquitous in mammals at the very least, probably all tetrapods and possibly all vertibrates - sadly Wikipedia doesn't say. It's part of a system that regulates blood pressure and electrolytes and sounds like the kind of thing that's pretty conserved. Of course, as far as we know there aren't any mammals in space.
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04 May 20
@deepthought saidACE2?But I think a much more fundamental problem with the theory is that the viruses, such as the C19, often have apparently evolved with specialized protein spikes to lock on to certain cell receptors found, as far as we are aware, only uniquely and specifically on the surface of human cells and not of any other lifeform.I think the ACE2 protein is pretty ubiqu ...[text shortened]... d of thing that's pretty conserved. Of course, as far as we know there aren't any mammals in space.
Are you speaking of angiotensin converting enzyme II?
Or are you referencing the specific gene sequence of an antibody?
I only ask because I've never seen the acronym expressed in this way.
05 May 20
@wolfe63 saidI mean the enzyme. I wanted to specify I meant the protein and not a gene sequence.
ACE2?
Are you speaking of angiotensin converting enzyme II?
Or are you referencing the specific gene sequence of an antibody?
I only ask because I've never seen the acronym expressed in this way.
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06 May 20
@metal-brain saidSo what is metal-brain thinking about this apparent murder/suicide?
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/researcher-verge-making-very-significant-coronavirus-findings-shot-death-n1200896
- Lover's jealousy?
- Professional envy?
- Deep State conspiracy?
07 May 20
1 edit
@wolfe63 saidWhat do you think?
So what is metal-brain thinking about this apparent murder/suicide?
- Lover's jealousy?
- Professional envy?
- Deep State conspiracy?
Here is an excerpt from the link below:
"Pompeo then briefly contradicted a statement issued last Thursday by the top U.S. spy agency that said the virus did not appear to be man-made or genetically modified. That statement undercut conspiracy theories promoted by anti-China activists and some supporters of President Donald Trump who suggest it was developed in a Chinese government biological weapons laboratory.
“The best experts so far seem to think it was man-made. I have no reason to disbelieve that at this point,” Pompeo said. When the interviewer pointed out that was not the conclusion of U.S. intelligence agencies, Pompeo backtracked, saying: “I’ve seen what the intelligence community has said. I have no reasonto believe that they’ve got it wrong.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-pompeo/[WORD TOO LONG]
Pay particular attention to this quote:
“The best experts so far seem to think it was man-made. I have no reason to disbelieve that at this point,” Pompeo said."
Why do you think he said that? Why did he change his story when he realized he contradicted U.S. intelligence agencies? Could it be he goofed by telling the truth by accident? What other reason would he flip flop the way he did?
07 May 20
@Metal-Brain
Maybe it just because he is as much of a flipper as Trump. We are winding down the task force, Next day, OH I didn't know the task force was so POPULAR, so it's back on.
Just like a hundred other flips of our UN POTUS.
For one thing, the experts I listened to who actually knows about genetic engineering said to get a virus as virulent as C19 in a lab is near impossible because of the near infinite ways the proteans can be configured and it takes an EXACT fit to make the spike that attacks human cells.
It would be like trying to find a needle in a ten mile high stack of needles just like it but THAT needle has ONE atom misplaced in just the right way.
But of course you anti science people would never believe an expert like THAT since you OBVIOUSLY know ten times more than they do.