“About 1.2% of the human genome is made up of genes, things that encode for proteins, the stuff that we consider us. There is about 8.3% that's a virus. In other words we're probably about seven times more virus than we are human genes, which is kind of a weird way to thinking about yourself.” ThinkingWayHumansKindMadeStuffSevenAbout YourselfGenesVirusesProteinThinking About YouGenomeThinking About Yourself Author:Carl Zimmer
“It used to be thought that only a certain kind of virus could get into our genome and it's called a retrovirus and that's a virus that might be HIV for example.” KindMightUsedCertainExampleUsed To BeVirusesHivGenome Author:Carl Zimmer
“The only kinds of ways we have to deal with viruses are old school, so vaccines for example are very effective, but the first vaccines were invented in the 1700's, so we're talking about technology that is over 200 years-old.” WayYearsFirstsKindSchoolDealsTalkingTechnologyExampleVirusesVaccinesOld School Author:Carl Zimmer
“There is some research that suggests that viruses like the flu are really actually kind of at the razor's edge when it comes to mutation. They're mutating so fast that if they mutated much faster they would actually develop a lot of harmful mutations that could slow them down and cripple them and eventually literally drive them extinct.” IfsKindResearchDown AndEdgesFasterVirusesFluRazorsCripplesMutation Author:Carl Zimmer
“If the world goes crazy for a lovely fossil, that's fine with me. But if that fossil releases some kind of mysterious brain ray that makes people say crazy things and write lazy articles, a serious swarm of flies ends up in my ointment.” PeopleIfsWorldWritingKindEndsBrainCrazySeriousFineLovelyMysteriousReleaseLazyRaysArticlesFossilsSwarmsCrazy Things Author:Carl Zimmer
