Futurology

1812 readers

236 users here now

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

A Harvard/Oxford team of researchers has developed a tool to predict viral mutations. They say it would have correctly predicted all of Covid's mutations and evolution. (news.harvard.edu)

submitted 1 year ago by Lugh to c/futurology

3 comments fedilink hide all child comments

A Harvard/Oxford team of researchers has developed a tool to predict viral mutations. They say that had it been available at the start of the pandemic, it would have correctly predicted all the Covid mutations that evolved to dominate.

top 3 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It's a prediction model that runs a bunch of eventual alternative results. It doesn't "predict" anything. It just gives you a jillion (industry term) eventualities. Doesn't mean a thing unless it correctly calculates the actual outcome.

[–] kglitch@kglitch.social 2 points 1 year ago

Did you read the article?

[–] Lugh 2 points 1 year ago

It often surprises me how much doomerism influences thinking about the future. To be convincing, it seems a classic case of cherry-picking facts, to ignore all the good news about the future.

Here's a great example. AI is rapidly advancing our defense against viruses. It's stunning to think a tool is available that could have predicted how Covid would have evolved. It's reassuring to know this weapon against viruses will be available in the future.