Science Wages War Against Mosquitoes: Genetic Engineering, Lasers, and Nano-Attacks
How do we defeat the world's deadliest creature? With the recent news that researchers at the University of Queensland are planning on releasing dengue-resistant mosquitoes into Australia and Vietnam, the world again turns its attention to the danger these insects pose--not only with dengue fever, but also malaria, yellow fever, and a host of others. At a TED talk in 2009, when Bill Gates unleashed a swarm of the insects into a packed auditorium, the aim was to increase awareness of mosquitos and malaria, and indeed the last year and a half has seen a number of advances. Mosquitos infect up to 700 million people annually, leading to more than 2 million deaths. Malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and Chikungunya are all potentially lethal, cementing the mosquito's position as the deadliest creature on the planet. Merely their incessant whine and inevitable bites, let alone the fact that they carry horrible diseases, are enough for most...