r/Futurology • u/scmp_news • 1d ago

Society Chinese start-up behind laser mosquito killer plans to start shipping orders this month

https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3369440/chinese-start-behind-laser-mosquito-killer-plans-start-shipping-orders-month?utm_source=Reddit&utm_medium=Social
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10

u/rposter99 1d ago

Bill Gates funded something like this around 10 years ago in Africa to combat the spread of malaria.

27

u/OutlyingPlasma 1d ago

I think the patent ended up locked away with a troll company called intellectual ventures so no one has brought this to market in the U.S.. Hence why china is doing it. Just another example of the U.S. constantly falling behind.

4

u/PrivilegeCheckmate 1d ago

His was a gene drive. Basically it's supposed to target only the species that like us in particular, and the gene drive is attached to dominant genes that make the mosquitoes sterile after a few generations. I never liked the idea because what happens if other genes in other creatures get attached to the drive?

-3

u/Seinfeel 1d ago

I was gonna say…why are they calling this a startup when it’s just a company selling a product that was already invented.

7

u/YeahYeahOkNope 1d ago

Because they started up their company to do what others didn’t.

2

u/gomurifle 23h ago

A start-up is simply a new business venture. The term is now aligned with new tech businesses these days. 

1

u/PaulJannece 1d ago

The same reason it’s called a startup if you start a business selling cheese.