There’s a lot to cover this week. There has been an absolutely stunning story on California COVID data, but I’m still trying to dig up more details on it before I talk through it. It deserves time and careful thought. Maybe for Friday. For today, even as we’re still struggling to control COVID outbreaks in the US, I’m really quite overwhelmed by how much good news there is. We have gotten rapid-fire good news on the technology and innovation front that will save lives and allow us to recover faster. And we might even be better prepared for the next pandemic.
"But what Dr Heemstra is talking about is something much more grand. She’s talking about COVID vaccines that actually teach your body to self-generate proteins that look like COVID spike proteins and then defend itself from them. So your body is actually making these new viral proteins for no other purpose than to resist them for practice."
Almost sounds like machine learning applied internally
Thanks for the book rec... Sounds like something I would like!
Not sure if this is just semantics, but I would say that external pressure brings about innovation rather than need. This can take the form of war, scarcity, market competition, etc. This is why I think a free market is the best way to produce innovation during peaceful times. It's a way to simulate the pressures of war or scarcity and bring about innovation.
On a related note, have you read the Foundation series? There is a theme that is based on this topic. Some of my favorite books.
Lastly, I think this is going to open up doors beyond just virology and immunity. I think this is probably going to unlock some doors to genetic engineering that could be very cool. I'm hoping for a real step change here.
"But what Dr Heemstra is talking about is something much more grand. She’s talking about COVID vaccines that actually teach your body to self-generate proteins that look like COVID spike proteins and then defend itself from them. So your body is actually making these new viral proteins for no other purpose than to resist them for practice."
Almost sounds like machine learning applied internally
Thanks for the book rec... Sounds like something I would like!
Not sure if this is just semantics, but I would say that external pressure brings about innovation rather than need. This can take the form of war, scarcity, market competition, etc. This is why I think a free market is the best way to produce innovation during peaceful times. It's a way to simulate the pressures of war or scarcity and bring about innovation.
On a related note, have you read the Foundation series? There is a theme that is based on this topic. Some of my favorite books.
Lastly, I think this is going to open up doors beyond just virology and immunity. I think this is probably going to unlock some doors to genetic engineering that could be very cool. I'm hoping for a real step change here.
Reading the Foundation series now myself, crises forcing the hand of society is really an awesome theme in those books!