Virus Analogy Debate

Discussions revolve around critiquing the application of 'virus' as a metaphor, with commenters explaining biological viruses' replication, host dependency, lack of intentions, spread mechanisms, and evolutionary behaviors.

📉 Falling 0.3x Science
4,484
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#7834
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
6
2008
15
2009
37
2010
62
2011
94
2012
79
2013
83
2014
112
2015
101
2016
155
2017
134
2018
248
2019
172
2020
1,131
2021
747
2022
381
2023
398
2024
286
2025
230
2026
13

Keywords

ELI5 www.ncbi RSV DNA RNA ycombinator.com sciencemag.org wikipedia.org nlm.nih GI viruses virus rna dna cold replicate cloning bacteria cell machinery

Sample Comments

Practicality Feb 10, 2015 View on HN

This seems like a great way to share viruses.

candiddevmike Aug 18, 2023 View on HN

This seems like an interesting vector for a virus.

majmun Dec 8, 2011 View on HN

could this be how some viruses were started?

robjan Mar 22, 2020 View on HN

Who's the bad guy? Viruses don't have intentions

bigbugbag May 16, 2017 View on HN

What's the incentive for such a virus ?

jimkleiber Sep 4, 2020 View on HN

You mean for viruses? Because that's what I was thinking

whimsicalism Mar 13, 2022 View on HN

Too bad viruses didn't give it any mind!

platz Jul 19, 2013 View on HN

why even call it a virus, if it shares so little in common with what we know as actual viruses?

matthewmorgan Aug 2, 2021 View on HN

Doesn't this same complexity prevent an all-consuming virus?

aeyes Jul 20, 2020 View on HN

How can you transmit a virus which is not able to use your body to replicate itself?