Biotech Values

[apljack]

Insects in general, particularly social insects, have a much higher degree of "altruism" with regard to individual sacrifice vis a vis the group (think ants or bees who will gladly sacrifice their individual life for the good of the colony/hive). An individual insect's death would be inconsequential in light of group survival.

The corollary here would mean that insects would be much more tolerant of the potential adverse effects of drugs that would cure many at the cost of killing the few. We humans have not been able to negotiate this cost/benefit analysis, skewing our allowance of "acceptable" loss due to drug side effects to the very end of the continuum.

Happy New Year to all,

aj