Why Mosquitoes Bother Some And Not Others

antipode writes "The BBC reports that scientists may have a better clue why mosquitoes prefer biting some people to others. This may lead to formulating a next generation of mosquito repellent that would suppress the smells attracting the blood sucking insects. According to the article, such repellent would be odor-less by itself. Wonder whether it's going to be more evil than Deet-based repellents, which, while being the only type that actually works, dissolve plastic and are believed by some to be carcinogenic."

Comments

Needless Editorializing

[stienman]

...and are believed by some to be carcinogenic.

I love this type of statement. It just reeks with the type of FUD that flies back and forth in the OS war.

If it's a belief, then it has no place in the introduction - it's a myth or rumor.

If, however, there are studies which cast doubt on its safety then it's well and good to show that with a statement like, "and are shown to be carcinogenic in some studies."

Gah. I realize I'm being pedantic, but can we please stop the rumors and FUD in general? Or are we merely being hypocritical by letting our own FUD be published while decrying FUD used against us?

-Adam

Re:It's a Natural Repellant

[jonadab]

> it's a natural repellant made from chemicals already produced by the body.
> This leads to a high likelihood that it's not dangerous.

Non sequiteur. Ammonia is a natural chemical already produced by the body
(occurring prominently, for example, in urine), but when a tanker truck
carrying ammonia spills on the highway, it's an environmental disaster.
Bile is a natural chemical already produced by the body and is a natural
emulsifier. Endorphins and human growth hormone and steroids (such as
testosterone) are natural chemicals already produced by the body. These are
all quite dangerous chemicals, if used improperly or in the wrong amounts.

It's all about how much you use and how you use it. The right amount of
chlorine used correctly makes water safe to drink; the wrong amount used
improperly will kill you even faster than the bacteria it's saving you from.
This is just as true for "natural" chemicals as any other kind.