http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordyceps
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Fuck yeah david attenborough
I saw this a very long time ago and was very disgusted. Doesn't it only affect insects though?
Each species of cordyceps has its own specific species of insect that it affects. However, with some futuristic genetic engineering, I imagine that the Terrans could alter them to destroy the Zerg strains.Quote:
Originally Posted by Pandonetho
I'm doing a flash project on cordyceps unilateralis, which specialize on carpenter ants, for a class.
The hyphae form tendrils that eat away at the soft tissue, then alter the brain chemistry so they perceive pheromones inaccurately. The stroma spreads the spores explosively.
The cool thing about unilateralis is that they produce anti-malarial agents. Real funky.
After some Zerg die from the fungii, they could adapt, infest it, and use it against the Terran.Quote:
Originally Posted by n00bonicPlague
Damn, didn't think about that......Quote:
Originally Posted by Norfindel
......and it would take them a much shorter time to alter it than us......
......fuck
Not necessarily. The Zerg are not the Borg, after all. If they were they would have already adapted to any weapon used against them. If the fungii is hard-coded in its genetic makeup there would be little to no chance of the Zerg being able to infest it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norfindel
it would certainly be interesting to see if they could, though. And yeah, I just got through watching Planet Earth myself. Awesome series. This part was creepy!
Actually, the Zerg are like the borg.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xyvik
Hive mind-Check
Adaptation-Check
Assimalation- Check
The Zerg creep adapted in Frontline to the Protoss messing with the creep. The Creep than could infest Protoss in the facility. In another Frontline story, Zerg Spores almost infested a human somewhere around 30 seconds.
You can't adapt to bullets or nukes or plasma (completely) But you can easily adapt to diseases and fungi, become immune, and turn it against humans.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xyvik
But it is much more difficult, physiologically speaking, tp adapt to a disease/fungi that has been specifically programmed to attack you. Just look at AIDS. Genetic research in the time period we're talking about could easily stamp out a genome that was a one-time shot, IE cells replicate and die with no external influence accepted, and then point it to attack the Zerg.Quote:
Originally Posted by newcomplex
But they would need to be able to map the Zerg's structure completely. They certainly made strides in that, but as far as I know they don't know enough to get an engineered attack against the Zerg.
As a fungi? Maybe not, although it would make a cool story. As a virus? Quite possibly.
I sure hope there aren't cordycepts that can attack humans...
There aren't.
Yeah, they only affect insects and whatnot.
There are a handful of lethal fungi that can grow in us, but the situations have to be just right.
Zerg can evolve FTL travel through evolutionary process I dont think disease is that big of a deal for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xyvik
Speacially because they have their own virus that can recode the ADN on a victim to make it part of the swarm.Quote:
Originally Posted by newcomplex
The best thing to use against the Zerg are probably self-replicating nanobots, as they cannot control them, nor assimilate them, and would be a bitch to destroy completely. Still, a lot of shit can go wrong with that approach :D
I always thought that the Zerg were capable of infesting machinery, just not in the way we see in organic infestation. They certainly couldn't assimilate it fully into the swarm, but an infested dragoon, stalker, or immortal is probable, as would the infestation of, for example, automated guns.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norfindel
Still, nanobots would probably be difficult to infest, what with the 'nano' in their name.
Wouldn't they try to infect machines through biotechnology?
The zerg could control machines in two ways:
1) Infest whatever is inside. (Since they cannot infest protoss [yet anyway], they can't infest a dragoon this way.)
2) Infest the machine. That was something you could do in StarCraft: Ghost. (Nova could control a zerg into infesting a machine. That wasn't necessarily in the last build of Ghost that they worked on though.)
I was under the impression that the infestation process is performed by Queens, and that Overlords are the ones that scout out potential new strains for the brood. (please correct if me I'm wrong)
Based on those assumptions, individual zerg strains could easily be wiped out if there are no Queens or Overlords nearby. Or, conversely, if the disease/virus itself was engineered specifically to destroy Queens and Overlords, the brood would have no defenses.
That is, at least, my understanding of the situation. Anybody care to rebuttal?
The latter is what I was mostly referring to, though I didn't know it was canon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimera757
Nano-machines would, in my opinion, be too small to feasibly infest, though we could easily be proven wrong (I'd prefer a good explanation as to how, though).
Zerg can infest in multiple ways. Queens, as you said, are one. Zerg Spores are another, which the Overmind used on Chau Sara. The Zerg Corruptor and Infestor in SC2 also show feats of infestation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xyvik
Zerg have the intense ability to control the route that evolution takes. They turned the giant silk worm like Slothien into the dreaded Hydralisk as an example. I doubt this would be a problem for them.
Of course, they can infest the operator, but will them retain the capability to even operate the equipment?Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimera757
I didn't read the book, but when the Zerg infest a Command Center, or an air unit, they just grow organisms there, not really control the machines. The machines themselves aren't really infested.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimera757
Maybe if they design specific organisms that interface with the machines, but that would require very specific knowledge about the machines, and the skill to perform heavy modifications. If faced with completely new nanobots, they will have a tough time trying to stop them.
They used nanites to de-infest Stukov, after all, not a virus.
Infested Marines can still use their Gauss rifles. I don't recall infested terrans using machines beyond that though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norfindel
Well using a Gauss Rifle requires no comprehension really. If I suddenly gave you a gun all you'd have to do is point and press the trigger.
Infested terrans are generally "brain dead".Quote:
Originally Posted by Shadow Archon
However, in StarCraft: Ghost, they actually "infested" their rifle so it fired poisonous bullets.
Off-Topic:Quote:
Originally Posted by Norfindel
Might I inquire as to Stukov's current state, then? I've not seen any mention of him. Of course I've only read the Dark Templar trilogy...
On-Topic: Forgot about Spores. But still...I would think that the individual zerg strains, IE zerglins, Hydralisks, ETC, would be highly susceptible to engineered diseases and viruses until a Queen/Overlord/Infestor/Corruptor got ahold of it. The evolution of the zerg is at a macro level, overall, otherwise we'd see zerglings and hydralisks doing stuff on their own. So if the macro part never got ahold of it...would it still work?
Well the thing is that each cordycep would be specifically engineered to kill off an individual zerg strain. There would be one for lings, one for hydras, one for ultras, and so on. Also, even though it would take a while before the infected organism would die, the psychosis caused by the spores would begin within just a few hours (if not minutes), so there would be very little time for the swarm to be able to adapt. Though you might not be able to annihilate the entire swarm, you would, with some good planet selection, take a sizable chunk out of their numbers.
I'm not using the book as a source, but an old gaming news story from 2005. So I wouldn't say canon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Norfindel
Of course, the game takes place around the same time as the Dark Templar Saga, where we see an intelligent infested terran not named Kerrigan or Stukov, so maybe by that point infested terrans aren't brain dead.
Yup.Quote:
They used nanites to de-infest Stukov, after all, not a virus.
Nobody knows. In a recent interview video, they said he won't be in Wings of Liberty but, if they can leverage him right, he might be covered in the zerg expansion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xyvik
Every time Blizzard said anything about Stukov, they always spoke about zerg, not terrans, although they never said if Kerrigan even knew about him...
Okay, so where was it mentioned he was de-infested with nanites?
n00b, that sounds like it would work to me! that was essentially what I had in mind. If you assault the right places the infestation and adaption of the zerg strains would be hindered to the point where you could knock off quite a few numbers.
Once the Overlord/Queen gets ahold of it, though, then there might be problems.
Considering they've already retconned general knowledge things (StarCraft & SC: Brood Wars), I don't see why they don't just retcon him out now. Most people never even played the extra missions, not to mention that they admit it's a stupid idea. I'm sure no one will find it outrageous if they leave him dead. :pQuote:
Originally Posted by Kimera757
Im hoping they kill, infest and deinfest him a couple more times in Starcraft II.
Stukov is like the Squats of 40K. It was a bad idea in the first place but their too big to retcon out. Your best option is to just never talk about it.
It was in the original N64 missions. That mission never came with the PC version of Starcraft.Quote:
Okay, so where was it mentioned he was de-infested with nanites?
I agree. When i readed it, it was like "WTF?!?!? Overlords resurrecting people, then Terrans applying Protoss serums to de-infest him?".Quote:
Originally Posted by ArcherofAiur
If someone missed this, i will quote again, it's funny :D:
http://sclegacy.com/feature/22-bc07/...aft-lore-panelQuote:
Q: What about infested Stukov and Braxis?
A: Metzen: “Oh yeah… why oh why did we think that was cool *hangs his head*” Andy: Infestation was a fascinating subject - Stukov was an experiment for the Zerg in infesting other humans. It may be something we (Blizzard) may want to touch on or do with other characters. The whole concept of the Zerg - there’s a subtle level of alien invasion, what happens when humans get infected by this hyper evolutionary virus and become something else. The story itself was two dimensional and is really a door to the future. Metzen: “That was pretty good - and almost completely pulled out of your ass.”
That and the Roverlisk...Quote:
Originally Posted by Norfindel
Reminds me of the parasite that coaxes its rat host to commit suicide by jumping in front of cats to be eaten.
Which reminds me of that parasite that induces a burning sensation to get its host to drink water in order to provide itself with a breeding ground. Although I can't remember what it's called.Quote:
Originally Posted by Visions of Khas
Not quite as creepy, but the guinea worm is a long, thing worm that lives just under the skin, usually by the legs.
If the victim walks into water, the emerge.
And then there's anisakis, a fish and human parasite, which does not have a similar ability. It looks like a mass of giant pink worms, and they live in the lungs. They emerge from facial orifices. They don't know when to emerge, and have been known to do so during exams (causing psychological scarring). That's why I don't eat sushi.
And I limited my fish intake because of mercury levels.
...
I just ate tilapia...
...
Damnit, Kimera. >_<
EDIT You forgot the whole anaphylactic shock deal, Kim. =[
LOL @ "Borg/Zerg can adapt to anything." When will this myth die?