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
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20
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#7834
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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?