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Viruses can catch colds, says study that redefines life itself

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The debate about what counts as a living thing is fuelled today by the discovery of the first virus that is able to fall "ill" by being infected with another virus.
Octoguy

27 responses // Viruses can catch colds, says study that redefines life itself

  • wow
    recommended by  jubal
    MrWatt619
    1 response to this
  • This is one of those things that kind of makes my brain ache.
    sgwhites
  • As long as the virus washes it's receptors and eats right, it shouldn't have to call into work.
    rightbrain
  • Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite 'em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.

    And the great fleas themselves, in turn, have greater fleas to go on; While these again have greater still, and greater still, and so on.

    From- 1872 A. De morgan: Budget of Paradoxes
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    jahbini
    1 response to this
  • watch this comment being used here, here and here
    What an amazing discovery. But ugh.. imagine if a virus sneezed on you...
    purplefox
  • I'm confused...haven't we known for a while now that viruses, bacteria, etc were alive? This is definitely a cool discovery, but I don't understand how it "redefines life itself"...
    DeliaTheArtist
    2 responses to this
  • I think that I was taught in middle school that viruses were not alive or something. Then again I haven't bothered myself with such matters in quite some time.
    T_Rose
    1 response to this
  • watch this comment being used here, here and here
    I'm not really sure i grasp the full implications of how cool this really is, but if its nearly as cool as i think it is... then cool man
    mookster_07
  • Oh great, we just discovered a biological Möbius strip. That's just fantastic.
    CCashman
  • Now let's find a virus that kills HIV and not people.
    majormajor
    1 response to this
  • It just seems like everyday there's a new killer virus...now the viruses have viruses? Whats next global warming is caused by a virus too i suspect.
    Painter_Gene
  • So let me get this straight: The mimi-virus can be infected by a mini-mimi-virus?
    EclecticBadger
  • HAHA jokes on them!
    joshuaheller
  • Oh man! This is insane!!
    Bood
  • were getting there.
    crazy_french
  • A virus was used by another virus to reproduce the way viruses do. I dont think that this means they are alive, it just means that they have mutated.

    They still dont meet all the other definitions of being alive, they just reproduce and reproduce.
    AliciaJC
  • What a great excuse to get out of school and work. My cold virus caught a cold, now I can not go to school or work today. hahaha
    Very interesting though.
    oreo4sho
  • http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14480-first-virop...
    So does this mean that we can cure viral infections by using these miniviruses or 'virophages'?

    Scientists seem to think it's too soon to tell, but it would be great if it could...

    The story linked discusses more on the same subject.
    lifestudentno83
  • Its about time those viruses got a taste of their own medicine!
    Eri_Soulja
  • Take that cruel world! :)
    bran
  • Haha.. payback's a bitch.
    Eri_Soulja

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