this post was submitted on 06 Aug 2025
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Science Memes

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[–] Phineaz@feddit.org 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

But isn't that what the first poster is playing on? It would certainly lower the chance of transmitting a virus

[–] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Yep, plus better 5G coverage for the rest of us too...

[–] Klear@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

But better 5G coverage increases chance of transmitting a virus...

[–] IndiBrony@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Only to anti-vaxxers, so we're good 👍

[–] Klear@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

You can't vaccinate against computer viruses.

[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago

There is a new vaccine, it's called Linux

[–] WhiteOakBayou@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I think the commenter in the picture was wooshed

[–] marcos@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Also, it's bothering me that it's not immediate.

If he was going to be wooshed, he could at least get the details right...

I think a healthy body could survive a single instantaneous disappearance of current mRNA, as long as the mechanisms to create more mRNA remain functional. All cells would just respond to new conditions more slowly and less effectively for a few minutes to hours, leaving the body vulnerable to disbalancing conditions such as infections. Some cells would die but most of them can be replaced in days.

On the other hand, deleting DNA (and thus preventing the creation of RNA) cannot be survived. A great exploration of such scenario is in the No More DNA chapter in What If? by Randall Munroe: the syptoms would be like eating an Amanita mushroom such as the "Destroying Angel", whose amatoxin prevents DNA transcription, or acute gamma irradiation. The patient is fine for a few hours (or less with a theoretical DNA wipe), then start exhibiting cholera-like symptoms (vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea), then they start to feel better. However, at that point, since cells can't divide, immune system collapse or systemwide organ failure is inevitable.

[–] gitamar@feddit.org 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Simon is a communicator/influencer/pr guy from Bayer advising for science. He's doing a lot of meme stuff on LinkedIn. He has a science background so I think the shortening is just for effect

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[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (2 children)

This is how amatoxins from mushrooms kills you. They shut down mRNA synthesis in the liver.

[–] otter@lemmy.ca 0 points 2 days ago (2 children)

The amanitin toxin is heat stable, remaining toxic whether eaten raw or cooked. The mechanism of action of amatoxin is by inhibiting RNA polymerase, causing disruption of transcription of mRNA. As a result, hepatocytes cannot synthesize key protein coding genes, leading to the disintegration of nucleoli and pathologically centrilobular hepatic necrosis. This leads to the insidious onset of liver failure over 48 hours. Late onset (more than six hours after ingestion) of vomiting and watery diarrhea occur due to the second component in some of these mushrooms which are phallotoxin. Lepiota species lack phallotoxins so may not have the onset of vomiting and diarrhea until after 12 hours post-ingestion, or may just present with symptoms of liver failure at 24 hours post ingestion.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK431052/

Wow ok 😬

[–] Lumisal@lemmy.world 0 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Well, heat stable to a point, though not sure how tasty mushroom ashes would be

[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Mushrooms, as long as its done slowly, can be cooked for extremely long times at extremely high temperatures as the spongy matrix that makes up the majority of their tissue is far more stable to heat than other protiens. They tend to go deep into maillard style caramelization type reactions instead of carbonizing as ling as you're not incinerating them rapidly.

Edit: autocorrupt "Fixed" a word for me

[–] Bane_Killgrind@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] LH0ezVT@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago

I mean, fried mushrooms are delicious. Just pick the right ones, so you can re-try the recipe later.

[–] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I love reading about Death Cap mushrooms and their cousin, Destroying Angel. By the time symptoms appear, you've already got irreversible damage. Specifically for Destroying Angel, as of 2016 there was about a 50 percent survival rate, but by 2023 that number had jumped to 85-90%. There's no antidote. Mostly treatment is to hydrate the absolute fuck out of you so that you're peeing out the toxin and pumping you full of electrolytes. The key to survival is detecting it as soon as possible.

[–] ryedaft@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Were they the mushrooms that woman in Australia used to murder her ex-in-laws?

Allegedly.

[–] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

That was the Death Caps. They're a bit more survivable than Destroying Angel, but I wouldn't want to eat either of them.

[–] ryedaft@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago

2 out of 4 died. That also sounds like 50% to me. You can have that science for free. A little treat.

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Not allegedly. She was just convicted on 3 murder counts

[–] ryedaft@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago

Good. I read some article that made it sound like the evidence wasn't good or something.

[–] Geodad@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago

Also denying food and drink. The toxin mixes with bile salts and is put back into the stomach by the gallbladder.

Secondary poisoning.

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 0 points 2 days ago

Someone get the last half of this comment to RFK immediately.

[–] ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago

Someone is flexing his additional chromosomes.

[–] hypeerror@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago

Think of the illnesses you could avoid if you removed your blood!

Ssshhhhh don’t tell them

[–] drosophila@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 1 day ago (4 children)

I actually wonder how long it would take to notice if all your mRNA stopped working.

I don't think neuron action potentials rely directly on mRNA, so I think you'd be able to keep thinking for a bit, and probably moving your muscles too. The closest comparable thing is people that received massive radiation doses (can't make new RNA out of shredded DNA) and in those cases it takes a bit before you start melting.

[–] SaharaMaleikuhm@feddit.org 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think I would prefer immediate death, thanks.

[–] Randelung@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago

Good news, that's always an option!

[–] ryedaft@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago

Transcription + translation response time to stimulus is on the hour scale. So it wouldn't be instant. But if your other RNA buggered off then I have no idea. The non-mRNA.

[–] fullsquare@awful.systems 0 points 1 day ago

I think it would be comparable to situation where all mRNA is suddenly unusable, ie protein synthesis can't run at all. This would be something like ricin or diphteria toxin poisoning, but instead of being limited to gastrointestinal lining it's spread all over. I'd guess hours to days before anything visible starts happening (symptoms only start to appear when deficit in new protein synthesis becomes noticeable; all protein already made continues to work for sone time)

[–] dudinax@programming.dev 0 points 1 day ago

Doesn't the death cap mushroom work by destroying your DNA? I would imagine the effect would be similar.

[–] halvar@lemy.lol 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i thought that was the point

[–] MystikIncarnate@lemmy.ca 0 points 22 hours ago (2 children)
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[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 0 points 1 day ago

Yeah, and you can't spread diesease while you're dead, can you Simon?

[–] hperrin@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 day ago

While you’re at it, can you take out all the acid and all the chemicals?

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 day ago (9 children)

Waitaminute. Are you telling me there are stupid people on the internet talking about things they don't understand?

The internet is the worst thing we've ever done to ourselves. I mean, it was fine at first. But we didn't have enough cynicism to account for what corporations would do with it and that's, sadly, our own fault for being too naive.

[–] SoleInvictus@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I like us building alternatives on the internet. The fediverse makes me hopeful again.

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 day ago

Agreed. It's one of the only things about the internet where I'm genuinely optimistic.

[–] psivchaz@reddthat.com 0 points 1 day ago

We also underestimated the number of idiots in the population. Or their ability to find little niches in which to congregate.

[–] biotin7@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I mean you clearly demonstrated how stupid you are, "let's nuke the internet".

[–] some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

When did I say anything remotely like that? Thanks for calling me stupid for making an observation.

[–] biotin7@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The internet is the worst thing we've ever done to ourselves.

Your words tomodachi

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[–] rimjob_rainer@discuss.tchncs.de 0 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The internet is still okay, just don't use any corporate social network and generally ignore everything made by corporations.

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[–] neons@lemmy.dbzer0.com 0 points 1 day ago

that's the joke, no?

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 0 points 1 day ago

you would be empty husk if you have no mrna.

[–] Agent641@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Certain temperatures can completely denature viruses like HIV and covid. Anything above 600 degrees should do the trick.

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[–] biotin7@sopuli.xyz 0 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The person doesn't know how viruses work

[–] Piemanding@sh.itjust.works 0 points 1 day ago

I mean killing a major portion of all viruses will stop transmission. So would killing the person. Exactly how drinking bleach kills the virus.

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