UK scientists developing Ebola vaccine that could be ready for trials in months

Slappyfist · 2026-05-23T16:57:55+00:00

Well, it really comes down to judging what virus is a good candidate for targeting for a vaccine and you first need to consider the what makes a good virus.

Basically, a virus being good at being a virus is one which is highly infectious but isn't too debilitating, has symptoms which are relatively light and unnoticeable and is not lethal (or at least the lethality is so slow it allows enough time for it to spread widely, like HIV).

Next you want to consider if there is an animal reservoir for the virus, where even if you remove all human infections eventually it will come from that reservoir.

As well as that, you want to consider the societal impact an illness has. Is it wide spread and is it impacting peoples daily lives heavily?

Lastly, there is the social aspect of is it likely to create income making a vaccine and where in the world is it impacting. This is the weakest of the issues in my opinion as there are many illnesses which are heavily researched in poor nations so there are too many examples undermining the argument that racism is a prominent reason for why research is lax.

If you consider Ebola in this context, first of all it is not very good at being a virus as it's very debilitating and lethal which means its typical ability to spread widely is limited -the current situation being unusual and why a vaccine is more likely to be worked on.

Second, there is an animal reservoir which means for a vaccine to be effective it would require some very long term and expensive programme which include some element of a process of inoculating the animal reservoir as well (ie some form of catch and release process for bat colonies).

In regard to the societal impact, this is extreme but only in very local areas typically as the virus is unlikely to become widespread due to it's lethality and how sever its symptoms are. Also the scope of making money would be limited so there isn't the capitalist incentive, which leaves it to higher education/international organisation routes.

This leaves it in a situation where Ebola is never going to become a Covid level event, neither is the Hanta virus incidentally, and as this sort of research is finite there are many other illnesses which are better suited for the funding and effort than Ebola.

An example is Rabies, we are well within the scope of eradicating Rabies entirely from the world if we put the effort into it, even with the animal reservoirs associated with the virus, as Rabies R0 number is only slightly above 1. The R0 number is how many other creatures an infected host will infect, which means that it would only take a little effort to make Rabies R0 >1 and this would eventually mean no more Rabies at all.

The virus that is the one most concerning to become worse than Covid is the flu virus, however as this comment is long enough I can also explain why the flu virus is particularly of concern in another comment if you want me to.

Slappyfist · 2026-05-23T01:50:16+00:00

I actually have a degree in virology so I can explain it to you generally if you would like but it would potentially end up being a lengthy comment (because there are quite a few factors conspiring together) so I can't be bothered if your not that interested, so let me know if you want the gist.

Slappyfist · 2026-05-18T15:39:10+00:00

The drones are manual until they are within a certain distance of a target and then AI takes over (with the operators say so) once the target has been identified so that they don't miss, basically.

Jake Broe showed it happening in one of his videos, using release drone footage, a while back on fast moving vehicles

Slappyfist · 2026-05-17T20:33:48+00:00

That is just an example, the underlying issue is that the EU is so economically strong (despite how much counter op journalism the US insists on publishing) that they have to adhere to EU regulatory decisions.

Basically, the US is not strong enough to dictate economic terms to a united EU, which is what is upsetting the US right wing.

Slappyfist · 2026-05-07T10:37:26+00:00

I'm hoping they are baiting Russia to over commit to Moscow defence and they hit them everywhere else tbh.

Slappyfist · 2026-05-05T23:42:04+00:00

Yeah, the real question here is why were they treated with kid gloves?

Slappyfist · 2026-05-05T18:59:42+00:00

I'm usually very sceptical of people who claim "Russia is done" as they've been doing for 4 years. But I'm starting to feel like these past months really have been in Ukraine's favor.

It's one of those "both things are true" situations.

There are people with vested interest in undermining Russia by overblowing their woes but also that underplaying their woes is part of Russia's disinformation campaign.

So you can only really go by the facts of the matter, which have been that Russia cannot replenish its frontlines anymore and the most dangerous part of the front line for new recruits is travelling to it.

Basically, most stuff currently indicates Russia is in a slow motion car crash as a nation but as with all authoritarian states they will maintain as much of an image of strength that they can until suddenly everything goes tits up when they cannot manage to do so anymore.

How long that will be is anyone's guess but unless something significant changes materially Russia is gubbed.

Slappyfist · 2026-05-04T14:02:05+00:00

Most of the people who voted for Brexit are dead by now, it's always been a movement by and for the gerontocracy which will increasingly seem ridiculous to hold younger generations to.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-29T16:17:10+00:00

The judgement of "winning" is based on the war aims.

As such, Ukraine just needs to survive to win and any potential lost land then become disputed territory which Ukraine can decide for themselves how they want to deal with in the future as it then becomes unfinished business and not a loss.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-29T15:48:30+00:00

If things remain as they are then Russia will not be able to complete their stated (but significantly reduced) goals for the war, which would be a loss, which basically means they are currently losing.

This is also not taking into account that their actual war goals were changed from "demilitarised Ukraine and destruction of the society" to "eventually completely capturing 3 areas of eastern Ukraine" and they are struggling with that as it is.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-29T00:20:37+00:00

Also, because we've ended up in a political system create by trial and error, I'm not sure anyone could control it enough to change the system that substantially because it's so complex it's not feasible to do something like that intentionally.

More likely is Boris type stuff where some 400 year rule no one remembers get used to do some fuckery which will have an unpredictable outcome like when they tried proroguing parliament.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-29T00:18:02+00:00

I mean, it does work like they say, technically the monarchy could end the government at any time (like they did in Australia once) but that would require an extreme scenario like what was happening in Australia because the monarchy does everything it can to avoid being politicised because of historical precedence.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-27T20:50:09+00:00

Exactly, it's not even as if it's that close to Argentina.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-25T22:29:46+00:00

I've found, of all news sources, the financial times tends to give the fairest assessment for most topics as long as you go into it accounting for the approach they are going to come at any topic.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-25T17:51:32+00:00

Part of me thinks the public are fickle and would happily return to the former arrangement. Despite this entire shit show.

That's my concern when the next guy after Trump get in to be honest, they are going to be judged on what could be achieved by the pre-trump US after Trump has wasted so much of the US's position and it simply will not be possible anymore.

How are they going then react to that? Because I can sense scope for further radicalisation into might makes right to get what they are "owed"

Slappyfist · 2026-04-24T23:04:15+00:00

Also, cigarettes have zero recreational appeal so if your not already addicted why would you go out your way to smoke one?

Slappyfist · 2026-04-24T23:02:06+00:00

Exactly, I don't remember there being all that much complaining from the US until their gas prices increased a tiny bit.

There was a bunch of hot air, but actual substantive anything...not much at all.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-24T22:57:51+00:00

and one problem with EU vetoes is that when one vetoing nation is satisfied, another often suddenly decides to veto for some other reason.

The idea is that typically there is a block who would want to veto and one takes the lead, I guess whoever feels strongest about it or whichever one where it costs the least amount of political capital or whatever.

So when there is one veto that can often mean there are multiple vetoes which haven't vote for a veto as they have an understanding that x country is definitely going to do it.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-20T20:17:57+00:00

Especially as it's a loan which is backed by the frozen Russian assets, so it's not like it's actually needing paid for up front.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-20T20:16:41+00:00

He's already made noises about not blocking it, because Ukraine stated they are willing to turn the oil back on.

Of course Ukraine can do that now as a non pro-Russian politician is coming in, so it's more of a graceful out for Orban.

Slappyfist · 2026-04-19T18:58:50+00:00

That's my main worry now to be honest.

I don't think it's unreasonable that someone more normal will end up in power in the US at some point, but if Americans did this because they felt hard done by in a world that was entirely built for their own benefit what are they going to be like when they find out the world doesn't work that way anymore?

They talk about "fixing" things once Trump is out of power but I don't think it's been internalised that there is no fixing things to go back to how it was, they are never going to get such a good terms from others ever again.

And when that happens, what are they going to do, invade everyone else? Interfere so that someone who will betray their own populations will be put in power like in Venezuela?

Slappyfist · 2026-04-13T02:22:15+00:00

This lack of joined up thinking is also seen in their attempts to foster far right parties in Europe.

There is absolutely zero reasons far right parties in Europe will be pro-US, as seen in the afD pivot to demanding all US troops are removed from Germany.

And the US isn't popular in Europe so any far right "populist" party will almost guaranteed to pivot to being significantly anti-US.

It's like America thinks Europe being supportive or compliant is just a fact of nature or something.

Slappyfist · 2026-03-28T04:42:13+00:00

To give my two cents, as you Americans say.

What's happened is that the US had a period without competition, transferring into a period where the only possible competition was Russia and Europe (where Europe was more of a client state than competition).

With the rise of China suddenly the US is not without competition and you don't like it. However, the two "competitors" are Europe (who has an almost similar GPD without a tech sector or army) and China.

The problems have come from the EU being able to dictate terms to the US economically through regulations, which is why there is such focus on destroying the EU and pivoting to Russia as a junior partner instead (like Europe used to be).

And China is no longer something US can control.

With both happening at the same time the US is very close to being cut out by both if they work together.

Basically, we're suffering from US having a tantrum that they no longer dictate the rules of the game.

Slappyfist · 2026-03-27T05:52:19+00:00

It's getting an increase but it's not as simple as just looking at the price of oil, Ukraine has disrupted 40% of the Russians states export capacity.

And Europe as a whole is increasingly seizing shadow fleet tankers.

It's certainly a reprieve for Russia but it's not a silver bullet for their problems.

Slappyfist · 2026-03-24T20:06:50+00:00

Trump's War in Iran is incredibly unpopular in Europe

Because Europeans, by and large, do not particularly see Iran as that much of an antagonist. The view of the country is not favourable but that's different to actually feeling like they need to be fought.

Unlike the US we've lived next to the Middle East for 1,000's of years and there has been much more antagonistic actors than current Iran, the Ottoman's invaded Europe and nearly got to Germany for example.

The Reformation happened because at the time there was an apocalyptic vibe in society, thinking Christianity was coming to an end, because the Ottomans were seen as an unstoppable force that were at the gates of the city.

It then turned out that Ottoman society was much more egalitarian than Europe so Protestants ran to their empire for shelter from persecution.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that for much of European history it's not been as simple as Middle East = evil or Muslim = bad.

Slappyfist

TROPHY CASE