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1/ Heard this quote attributed to Dolly Parton:
Storms help trees grow bigger roots.
It is really poetic, but very misleading and is not how evolution works.
Instead, it is the trees that mutated/evolved to have bigger roots that survive storms.
The difference matters.
Storms help trees grow bigger roots.
It is really poetic, but very misleading and is not how evolution works.
Instead, it is the trees that mutated/evolved to have bigger roots that survive storms.
The difference matters.
2/ Similar applies to COVID and other viruses.
When I hear people say say virus is smart, it outsmarts medications and our immune system I cringe.
Viruses aren't smart, they are exceptionally dumb.
What they are is exceptionally abundant, and exceptionally high volume.
When I hear people say say virus is smart, it outsmarts medications and our immune system I cringe.
Viruses aren't smart, they are exceptionally dumb.
What they are is exceptionally abundant, and exceptionally high volume.
3/ The right visual is this.
Viruses mutate NON-STOP, ALL-THE-TIME and A-LOT.
Most of these mutations do not help virus survive. They are unstable and as a result the virus that has them can't survive and goes away.
Viruses mutate NON-STOP, ALL-THE-TIME and A-LOT.
Most of these mutations do not help virus survive. They are unstable and as a result the virus that has them can't survive and goes away.
4/ Now, and this is really important is this:
Viruses mutate inside people & animals, we are hosts. They can't mutate outside of hosts.
Nevertheless, viruses do not have any kind of overarching purpose, they just mutate all the time.
They don't even have a purpose to survive.
Viruses mutate inside people & animals, we are hosts. They can't mutate outside of hosts.
Nevertheless, viruses do not have any kind of overarching purpose, they just mutate all the time.
They don't even have a purpose to survive.
5/ What is true instead is that SOME variations of the viruses that EMERGE through NON-STOP MUTATION are extremely adapted to spread and to survive.
Just like with tree roots -- its the viruses thats most adapted, i.e. have certain features, that survive and spread the best.
Just like with tree roots -- its the viruses thats most adapted, i.e. have certain features, that survive and spread the best.
6/ More broadly, this is exactly how natural selection works.
There is no grand optimization at work or movement towards global optimum.
Instead recombination and mutation and other evolutionary mechanisms cause species that are better adapted to their environment to emerge.
There is no grand optimization at work or movement towards global optimum.
Instead recombination and mutation and other evolutionary mechanisms cause species that are better adapted to their environment to emerge.
7/ I think it is important that we as a civilized and educated society in 21st century get this right. This is just basics, and instead we use imprecise language and spread myths.
If we actually explained to people how things work hopefully they'd make right decisions.
If we actually explained to people how things work hopefully they'd make right decisions.
8/ And we'd be better off, survive better as a society.
That is, evolutionary speaking.
See what I did here?
That is, evolutionary speaking.
See what I did here?
9/ So why do we need everyone to vaccinate?
So we can stop COVID from mutating. Not just spreading, from mutating.
People who refuse to vaccinate will cause new mutations that will be harmful to everyone.
We need to come out and say this loud and clear.
/end
So we can stop COVID from mutating. Not just spreading, from mutating.
People who refuse to vaccinate will cause new mutations that will be harmful to everyone.
We need to come out and say this loud and clear.
/end
