A factory of five billion mosquitoes

The Nature magazine published a news article stating that Brazil is planning to build a mosquito factory to produce five billion mosquitoes per year, which are intended to be released into the wild.

These are not just any mosquitoes, but winged insects that carry a certain bacterial infection. As a result, these mosquitoes do not function as efficient carriers of the virus that causes dengue fever.

Therefore, the market for these mosquitoes is in places where this viral disease occurs, such as Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, where it is hoped that the released insects will pass on the bacteria in a way that even their naturally occurring counterparts are no longer able to transmit viruses.

The method has been tested before the decision to build the factory was made. The best results were achieved in a trial conducted in Indonesia, where releasing bacteria-carrying mosquitoes into the wild reduced dengue fever cases by as much as 77 percent. In other trials, the number of people with the disease also decreased, but less so.

It remains to be seen whether the mosquito factory will succeed in improving human health, and what kind of market will open up for a factory producing bacteria-carrying mosquitoes.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Evolution in action
Leaders infected by a parasite
World oceans are filled with previously unknown viruses

History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state

This is the second part of a blog post series where I go through the significant phases of Finland's history. In the first post, I described how Finland (or actually its densely populated southern and western parts) became a part of Sweden, which inevitably connected our country to the development of the Western world.

During the Middle Ages, the Nordic countries formed the Kalmar Union, in which power gradually shifted to the union king - that is, the Danes. For Finland - and at the same time for all Nordic countries - it was crucial that Gustav Vasa's successful rebellion restored Sweden's independence from external forces, as it was important for the future development of the region.

This was accomplished with the support of the free town of Lübeck, which belonged to the Hanseatic League that dominated Baltic Sea trade. Of course, this support had to be repaid, and the only way to do so was by stealing the property of the wealthy Catholic Church that had prospered during the Middle Ages - a justification provided by the Protestant Reformation.

Later, Gustav made Sweden even more independent from Lübeck by severing its umbilical cord with the city through an alliance with Denmark and the Netherlands, and by defeating the free city in a war with their help. As a result, Sweden - and as a part of it, Finland - withdrew from the nearly monopolistic foreign trade advantages previously demanded and obtained by the Hanseatic city.

In order to enable all of these achievements and to increase his power, Gustav Vasa had to develop a functioning central administration in Sweden, complete with tax-collecting bailiffs and written commands. Trade was directed under the control of the central government through the steeple town system, which also enriched the king's personal wealth and the kingdom itself.

Gustav Vasa also changed the justice system so that the law courts shifted towards seeking out and punishing the guilty parties. The previous practice of seeking reconciliation between the warring parties - and their families - was left in the background.

Through these actions, the new taxation and legal practices, as well as the weakening grip of the Church on power, led to the king's strong position. Beneath Gustav Vasa, there were only his servants and loyal subjects. In support of this power, the king also created a standing army, the maintenance of which required taxes e.g. money.

The importance of a monetary economy grew throughout the entire kingdom, which helped to enhance the position of the nobility who cultivated large estates and the merchants who engaged in trade, in relation to the rest of the population. This raised the nobility and the wealthy bourgeoisie of the cities above the common people.

Overall, as a result of Gustaf Vasa's actions, a modern or at least pre-modern state led by the king was established and strengthened, which was able to steer the entire kingdom in the desired direction. At the same time, the living conditions of ordinary people declined for the next two centuries - this happened both in Sweden and Finland.

The original blog post in Finnish:
Suomen tie unionin takamaasta osaksi modernia valtiota

All the blog posts in this series:
History of Finland I: How did Finland become culturally part of the West?
History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state
History of Finland III: The legal and economic weakening of the position of the people
History of Finland IV: The bleakest time in Finnish history
History of Finland V: The pursuit of economic profit saved the country
History of Finland VI: Age of freedom and utility
History of Finland VII: The dictator of the era of Enlightenment promoted capitalist economy
History of Finland VIII: Joining of Finland to Russia led to an increase in crime
History of Finland IX: Enlightended dictator initiated economic growth
History of Finland X: The birth of Finnish identity
History of Finland XI: Finnish democracy and gender equality for women
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
History of Finland XIII: The far-right's rebellion
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic
History of Finland XV: Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine
History of Finland XVI: Through rise and fall to a new kind of future

A young woman skiing in a swimsuit caused a controversy among women

Ida Hulkko is a 24-year-old Finnish general's daughter, a relative of Andy McCoy of Hanoi Rocks and competitive swimmer who has won silver at the European Championships. She is also active on social media and recently posted a video of herself skiing in her competition outfit, which happens to be a swimsuit. The video caused a storm of controversy, which Hulkko can best explain herself.

"It's amazing how much negative emotion one video that I found funny can stir up in people who don't even know me... Some people understood the humor, but others focused on the objectification and slut-shaming aspects. If I wanted attention, I could start an OnlyFans or do something else. And even if I did want attention, what's wrong with that?"

So is this about misogyny directed towards a young woman by men? Or even contempt for the entire female gender? The reader can ponder this in light of the swimmer's own comments.

"I receive hateful messages every day. Unfortunately, most of the hate speech comes from women. It's really sad. Nowadays, society talks a lot about feminism, but still some women are bullied on social media."

Furthermore, "I've been told, for example, that I disrespect female athletes and women's sports. I've also been slut-shamed, and I've even been accused of promoting a rape culture." 

I think this is pretty harsh talk for a young woman who is living best time of her life and excelling as an elite athlete, just because she humorously played around with Finnish seasons in an outfit that no one pays much attention to in the summer at the beach or even in the wintertime at the indoor swimming pool.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:

The Guardian misleads its readers
African female and Persian male ancestors
Did police have the right to strip women

History of Finland I: How did Finland become culturally part of the West?

In 2022, I wrote a series of blog posts briefly describing the most important stages in Finland's history, mostly based on the writings of Professor Heikki Ylikangas. Today, I have decided to translate the entire story for my international readers as I assume this topic is not very familiar to almost anyone outside Finland. 

In this series you can expect a total of sixteen posts covering ancient history up to the 21st century, which I hope will increase understanding of my homeland in other parts of the world.

Hunter-gatherers populated Finland from various directions immediately after the end of the Ice Age. However, about 3 500 years ago, a strong population flow from Siberia altered the genes of the people living in Finland at that time.

The well-known early medieval Levänluhta people, with one exception, were ancestors of the Sámi people, who had spread over a much wider area than present-day Sápmi. On the other hand, ancient DNA has also been found in two other locations in southern Finland, but there it differs from the DNA of most present-day Finns, but has similarity to DNA of the Volga-Ural region.

The population of present-day Finland is roughly divided into two genetically separate groups along the border of the Treaty of Nöteborg that runs through the country from southeast to the northern west coast. Agriculture arrived in to Finland about 5 000-4 000 years before the beginning of the Common Era, but interestingly, medieval DNA is divided so that the forms associated with hunter-gatherers are common in southwestern and southern Finland, where agriculture has been most common according to the historical records. In the east and north, on the other hand, there are more gene forms associated with agriculture. This suggests that there were significant population movements in Finland during the medieval period - or perhaps the limited medieval samples available do not accurately represent the true relationships of these genes at prehistorical time.

Following Finland's early history, its subjugation to Swedish rule almost 1000 years ago set the course for the country's future and its population. According to Professor Heikki Ylikangas, this happened mostly voluntarily because the organization of Finnish society was not sufficient for military resistance, as in the Baltics, and enemies could be avoided simply by fleeing into endless forests.

An exception to this rule was the more densely populated region of Satakunta, South-Western coast of Finland. There the society was better organized and the prevalence of crop farming forced people to defend their property. As a result, Swedish settlements along the coast were thinner in Satakunta than in other parts of Finland.

With the arrival of the Swedes, Finland received a legal system and Christianity copied from the mother country, which in turn brought with it also the social organization. At this stage, the Catholic Church can be considered the most powerful force in the country, owning as much as 21 percent of the cultivated land in Sweden. In addition to the church, power was in the hands of the king and locally with powerful families.

Thus, Finland had become linked to the Western world. Its future was tied to Sweden's destiny for hundreds of years, for better or for worse.

The original blog post in Finnish: 
Suomen liittyminen osaksi läntistä kulttuuria

All the blog posts in this series:
History of Finland I: How did Finland become culturally part of the West?
History of Finland II: From a hinterland of the Union into a modern state
History of Finland III: The legal and economic weakening of the position of the people
History of Finland IV: The bleakest time in Finnish history
History of Finland V: The pursuit of economic profit saved the country
History of Finland VI: Age of freedom and utility
History of Finland VII: The dictator of the era of Enlightenment promoted capitalist economy
History of Finland VIII: Joining of Finland to Russia led to an increase in crime
History of Finland IX: Enlightended dictator initiated economic growth
History of Finland X: The birth of Finnish identity
History of Finland XI: Finnish democracy and gender equality for women
History of Finland XII: Bloody civil war
History of Finland XIII: The far-right's rebellion
History of Finland XIV: The end of the first Finnish Republic
History of Finland XV: Paasikivi-Kekkonen doctrine
History of Finland XVI: Through rise and fall to a new kind of future

Traditional beliefs turned out to be wisdom

In the Western world, traditional beliefs and fairy tales are often disregarded, and understandably so, given the many benefits that modern science and knowledge-based technology have provided us. Nonetheless, on occasion, ancient traditions contain a kind of wisdom that exceeds scientific knowledge.

An example was published in a new research article, where scientists described how they gained insights into the mysterious small patches of barren earth called "fairy circles" found in arid grasslands in Australia and Namibia. Ecologists have debated whether the circles are the result of plants competing for water and nutrients or an alternative explanation backed by thousands of years of Aboriginal knowledge.

The study, argues that the circles are in part caused by underground nests of termites, as depicted in Aboriginal paintings and stories. The traditional knowledge of Aboriginal people was confirmed by scientists who dug trenches in the patches and discovered extensive termite tunnels.

The co-authors of the study include dozens of Aboriginal elders and experts who shared their knowledge with researchers at Australian institutions. The authors argue that the results demonstrate the importance of incorporating traditional knowledge of Indigenous people into scientific research.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Human curiosity altered an orbit of an asteroid
Should forbidden questions be answered or not?
World Resources Institute had an arrogant demand

Military confrontation between China and USA highly probable in near future

For over half a century, China has wanted to incorporate the independent island of Taiwan - which remained so after the civil war - into itself. However, it has been unable to do so because the militarily superior USA has declared that it will intervene in such an act.

Nevertheless, China has become increasingly strong economically and militarily over the decades, leading it to once again assert its claim to the island. These claims have been emphasized by military displays in the waters around Taiwan.

In a recent interview, Finnish expert on international politics Risto E.J. Penttilä said that he believes there will be some kind of military confrontation between the USA and China in the near future. This could mean, for example, a collision between two aircrafts or something similar.

However, it is clear that there are not yet the elements of a major war. Instead, it is clear that the USA and China are in a cold war with no end in sight. And we can only hope that it will not turn into a hot war at some point e.g. due to a human error.

If an actual war is avoided, the question arises as to when the cold war will end. In my own estimation, it will end if China is able to become militarily stronger than its rival, which would allow it to incorporate Taiwan into itself. If this does not happen - and the USA remains stronger - the cold war will eventually thaw as China declares that economic cooperation is more sensible than continuing the cold war due to a reluctant island nation.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Will China ally with Russia against Ukraine?
The main consequence of Putin´s attack to Ukraine
Once upon a time in China and Taiwan

Evolution in action

The yellow fever mosquito is responsible for spreading yellow fever, Zika, chikungunya, and dengue viruses, leading to hundreds of millions of infections each year. Although it previously showed no interest in humans and preferred other animals, a new genomic analysis has revealed that the ancestral mosquito species split about 5,000 years ago due to a drying climate in the West African Sahel, transforming the previously prevailing grassland landscapes into a desert.

Researchers compared mosquito genomes collected across Africa and Brazil and discovered another significant migration event when the insect spread from Africa to the Americas. This likely occurred around 1800, during the period when approximately 80 000 enslaved individuals were transported across the ocean annually. Yellow fever mosquitoes laid their eggs in water barrels and fed on the people aboard the ships.

In the absence of water bodies, some mosquitoes likely adapted to laying their eggs in water storage containers in communities, subsequently developing a preference for humans as a food source due to their increased availability compared to other mammals.

The investigation also unveiled rapid and ongoing evolution within the species, allowing for more efficient transmission of diseases in African cities. These evolving mosquitoes may explain recent changes in disease transmission patterns. 

For instance, Burkina Faso experienced its first modern dengue outbreak only seven years ago, yet the problem has resurfaced every year since. Additionally, Ouagadougou's mosquitoes quickly adapted to breeding in public hand-washing services installed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It remains uncertain whether the evolving mosquito strains will spread beyond Africa. But is is clear anyway, that scientists now have an unprecedented opportunity to observe evolution in action.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A popular hobby risks ecological balance, private property and human health in Finland
World oceans are filled with previously unknown viruses
American black population more vulnerable to the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2

The Guardian misleads its readers

The internationally acclaimed Prime Minister of Finland, Sanna Marin, has decided to step down as the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Finland. At the same time, she announced that she will not seek a position as a minister in the upcoming government or run for president.

I have previously expained that despite her international success, Prime Minister Marin has been an inadequate leader. While she is certainly able to present herself convincingly, in the last few years she has been unable to maintain Finland's economy in good condition. Additionally, she has displayed inappropriate behavior by attacking her coalition partners and encouraging voters from other left-wing parties to vote for her own party.

Therefore, it was incomprehensible that the Guardian got excited about writing about Finnish misogyny in Marin's case. If this were the case, could the top three candidates in the elections have been women, or not?

It remains to be seen what kind of government will come to Finland in the coming years. However, it is clear that the voters did not want a new left-wing government: after all, the environmental and left-wing parties only received a third of the votes. And the same amount of seats in the Parliament.

Therefore, it would be appropriate for Finland to have a government that represents the will of the people, with the two largest winners of the election, namely the National Coalition and the Finns Party. It should also be noted that the latter party is not associated with the right-wing ideologies of the parties in the 1930s as insinuated by the Guardian. Instead, it is a conservative and market-oriented popular movement.

Previous thoughts on the same topic: 
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin is quickly losing her national credibility
Elections in Finland enlight journalistic views
A notable difference between Social Democrats in Sweden and Finland

African female and Persian male ancestors

When individuals migrate from their homes to different geographic regions, they encounter people from different backgrounds. This can lead to peaceful coexistence or intergroup violence, or both.

Over the past few decades, Europe has seen an influx of people from Africa and the Middle East. However, their integration into receiving societies has not always been smooth. As a result, a subset of the local population in almost all European countries holds highly negative attitudes towards newcomers.

The problem has been exacerbated by the fact that especially many muslim-background immigrants have been guilty of appalling sexual crimes against women in the majority population. For example, in UK an organised child sexual abuse in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, Northern England continued for decades from the late 1980´s until the 2010´s. And in Finland the raping frequency per Iraqi male is more than an order of magnitude higher compared to local men.

Therefore it was interesting to read a recent study on the genetic makeup of individuals from medieval and early modern coastal towns on the Swahili coast of eastern Africa. The study found that many individuals had a mix of African and Asian ancestry, with a significant proportion of their DNA coming from primarily female African ancestors and primarily male Persian ancestors.

This raises the question of whether something happened in Africa during the Middle Ages that is commonplace for Europeans today. Should we learn something from it?

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
A set of immigration-derived sexual crimes in a Finnish town
Rape statistics in Finland and Sweden are breaking prejudices
When will they ever learn?