Viruses can't exist.
The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.
After 2 votes and with 10 points ahead, the winner is...
- Publication date
- Last updated date
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- Standard
- Number of rounds
- 5
- Time for argument
- Three days
- Max argument characters
- 30,000
- Voting period
- One week
- Point system
- Multiple criterions
- Voting system
- Open
To prove that viruses don't exist. Answer these logic questions -
1. How did the first person to see a virus know that it was a virus without any references as to what a virus looks like?
2. How do viruses find their host if they have no legs, arms, eyes, ears, brains, sense of touch or means of locomotion?
3. How can something that is dead, suddenly come to life?
4. How can viruses survive in the atmosphere and sunlight without any walls for protection? (very fragile)
5. How does a entity (virus) that kills its host pass on its genes and what does it gain by killing the host?
6. If viruses are proteins, then why don't small insects like ants find them and eat them all?
My opponent feels he can arbitrarily and unilaterally demand that the rules be changed in his opening round. As these rules were not agreed, this is obviously an unfair attempt to change the rules after the fact, and I would encourage all voters to treat this as a conduct violation.
The rules pro demands also run contrary to standard debate practices: debate participants use term frequently to point out when an opponent has ignored a point being raised[1]. I will however, use “ignored” in place of “dropped” as a result as a courtesy.
My opponent is free to ignore whatever argument he chosen, and I would encourage voters to vote accordingly if my opponent ignores a key aspect of my contention
Viruses.
Viruses are small disease causing agents that are typically much smaller than bacteria. They operate by penetrating the cell of a host, and using that cell to replicate the viral unit.[2]
Transmissible disease causing agents
Since almost the dawn of man, humans have know that there are diseases that one human can transmit to another, it has been known that plague, leprocacy, and others can be caught from other human beings.[3][4]
While it has been known for a while that many types of illness were communicable, it was not clear how, or what caused them.
While bacteria were isolated and discovered earliest - as they are larger, multiple experiments that infect organisms and cells using filters that are too small to allow bacteria through have repeatedly demonstrated that specific illnesses and infections can be transferred from one organism to another and are not down to bacteria.[5][6]
The first of these was the Tobacco Mosaic Virus, where it was demonstrated that plants can be infected with filtered water from diseases plants. With the filtration being so small as to rule out bacteria.[7]
One of the important things was that when the water was filtrated it could be shown that boiling the water removed the cause of whatever was producing the infection. [8].
However since then multiple agents have been discovered and isolated by similar methods.[9][10]
Infections agent:
The important aspects of the experiments mentioned, is that they establish the transmission as an agent that is present in the infected cells that can be transferred, rather than simply a product of environment itself by virtue that transfer of the virus in tiny amounts to another is can be just as deadly[5].
This combined with key aspects of outbreaks patterns that occur, where the infection of a population can be traced to an infection transmitted between people rather than a result of environmental factors, allows us to confirm the individual experimental results, against what we see in the real world.
At this point, the evidence shows that we have sets of infections isolated in outbreaks that appear to be related to transmission between organisms - rather than the environment, and we can show that there appears to be an agent infecting the organisms that is 100 times smaller than bacteria, and appears to replicate within the organism.
The cause of Illnesses that fit this criteria were called viruses - as they all had very similar properties.
Cultures
Armed with this information, virologists were able to subsequently grow and harvests viruses for experimentation.
While viruses do not grow and divide the same way as bacteria - as they require a host cell to grow, one of the easiest way to demonstrate the microscopic disease causing agents exist, and world are through cell cultures.
Specifically, cells of a given type that a virus infects can be used to grow viruses, and the effects can be observed and studies by looking at those cells and that cells chemistry[5][12]
Imaging
From these cultures, and filtering it has been possible not just to determine that an infection agent exists that is transmissible between cells, but to formally grow the viruses well enough that infectious cells can be analyzed and pictures taken with a imaging methods that can resolve small enough objects.
A simple example is by spinning a sample of infected serum in a centrifuge, knowing the virus will be concentrated in regions by specific weight (that is what a centrifuge does), you can find this out through virulence experimentation [5], then compare a sample of this to a regular uninfected serum under an electron microscope.
The only difference with these two samples is the viral load is concentrated in one, and doesn’t exist in the other.[13\
The method of analyzing infected samples under an electron microscope to find unexpected infections agents that are not in uninfected samples should be uncontentious.
Summary.
A summary of the evidence above puts the existence of viruses beyond any reasonable doubt.
We know infection patterns match transmission between people, and from infected sources; we know the size of the objects are 100 times smaller than bacteria due to filtering experiments, and these agents replicate within the cells, we are able to culture these infections agents, and when we take images of infected fluids, we invariably see multiple objects of different types throughout the solution that we do not see in any other uninfected sample, and ubiquitously match other infections of the same kind photographed elsewhere.
As a result of the evidence presented above, I have provided categorically evidence that proves beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses do indeed exist
Questions.
Pro asks a series of questions. Pro presents these as if necessary to answer in order to prove viruses exist, however pro doesn’t make clear why or how these questions would “prove” viruses exists, as I can easily see it being possible to answer those questions satisfactorily even in a scenario where the subject is obviously wrong or doesn’t exist.
As a facile example, I could provide an answer for each one of these questions but about infections futuristic nanobots - and it would not make their existent any more or less likely.
However as shown, above: it is possible to separately and independently prove viruses exist, regardless of whether it is or is not possible to answer pros questions. Which fundamentally undermines both the questions, and the necessity for me to answer them.
However, I will attempt to answer them as a courtesy, even though I have already demonstrated that viruses exist.
1.) How did the first person to see a virus know that it was a virus without any references as to what a virus looks like?
This was the Tobacco Mosaic Virus, they were looking for a new particle that appeared inside individual plant cells that were unhealthy be not in those that were healthy. [7]
Multiple different techniques on multiple different viruses, and multiple replications demonstrate this was not just a “one off”[13]
“2. How do viruses find their host if they have no legs, arms, eyes, ears, brains, sense of touch or means of locomotion?”
Viruses don’t “find” their hosts. There is no intent or locomotion. Viruses are simply transferred from one host to another via infected bodily fluids, touch, etc.[14]
“3. How can something that is dead, suddenly come to life?”
It is not clear what this means, I have not heard any requirement in any aspect of virology or germ theory that requires this to be true.
“4. How can viruses survive in the atmosphere and sunlight without any walls for protection? (very fragile)”
Many don’t. Most survive only in body fluids, of in individual hosts, or in any number of different locations outside of the atmosphere.[15]
This should be obvious from the evidence. People don’t catch the flu today just by being outside, we have to be fairly close to someone else with the flu to catch it - mainly because the flu can’t last very long outside the body.
“5. How does a entity (virus) that kills its host pass on its genes and what does it gain by killing the host?”
Nothing. The most successful viruses do not often kill their host. Cold and flu are rarely fatal. While many viruses can be fatal, or potentially fatal, as long as at least one new host is infected before the previous host dies, the infection can spread.
“6. If viruses are proteins, then why don't small insects like ants find them and eat them all?”
This question is frankly so absurd it barely warrants a response.
Ants and small inspects currently eat plant matter, yet there are still plants. If ants are not able to wipe out all plants, why do you feel they would be able to wipe out viruses?
Viruses are simply too small to make them a viable calorific source of food compared to ubiquitous plant matter.
Sources:
[1]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_policy_debate_terms
[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virus
[3] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leper_colony
[4] https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/historyquarantine.html
[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2048519/?page=1
[6]http://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/pages/tmv.aspx
[7]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_mosaic_virus
[8] https://books.google.ca/books?id=ew1fR6ghsmgC&pg=PA3&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
[9]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinia
[10] https://rybicki.blog/tag/chamberland-filter/
[11]https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outbreak
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4850366/
[13]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2772359/
[14]https://www.sharecare.com/health/viral-infections/how-are-viral-infections-spread
[15] https://jamaicahospital.org/newsletter/?p=1423
Since almost the dawn of man, humans have know that there are diseases that one human can transmit to another, it has been known that plague, leprocacy, and others can be caught from other human beings
The first of these was the Tobacco Mosaic Virus, where it was demonstrated that plants can be infected with filtered water from diseases plants. With the filtration being so small as to rule out bacteria.[7]
However tobacco, as all other successful crops, is often subject to continuous cultivation as monocultures (planting large tracts of a single crop, often times year-after-year inthe same plot of land). As a result of intensive cultivation, tobacco depletes the soil of essential nutrients and the plants become more susceptible to disease.
Pro asks a series of questions. Pro presents these as if necessary to answer in order to prove viruses exist, however pro doesn’t make clear why or how these questions would “prove” viruses exists, as I can easily see it being possible to answer those questions satisfactorily even in a scenario where the subject is obviously wrong or doesn’t exist.
1.) How did the first person to see a virus know that it was a virus without any references as to what a virus looks like?This was the Tobacco Mosaic Virus, they were looking for a new particle that appeared inside individual plant cells that were unhealthy be not in those that were healthy. [7]
2. How do viruses find their host if they have no legs, arms, eyes, ears, brains, sense of touch or means of locomotion?”
Viruses don’t “find” their hosts. There is no intent or locomotion. Viruses are simply transferred from one host to another via infected bodily fluids, touch, etc.[14]
This should be obvious from the evidence. People don’t catch the flu today just by being outside, we have to be fairly close to someone else with the flu to catch it - mainly because the flu can’t last very long outside the body.
“6. If viruses are proteins, then why don't small insects like ants find them and eat them all?”
This question is frankly so absurd it barely warrants a response.Ants and small inspects currently eat plant matter, yet there are still plants. If ants are not able to wipe out all plants, why do you feel they would be able to wipe out viruses?
Pro ignores my argument on his attempt to unilaterally change the rules in round 1. Voters should note his silence here as consent.
Existence of Viruses.
In Round 1, I provided a detailed explanation, and evidence that walks through how we can be certain that viruses exist.
To summarize
1.) Some illnesses can be transmitted from one organism to another. We can take sap from a diseased plant (or serum from a diseased bird), and transmit it to another plant, or bird which then falls ill.
These experiment prove there is some specific agent in these samples that produce and transfer the illness.
Pro ignores this point.
As these produce infection in otherwise healthy cells, this demonstrably proves conclusively these illnesses are nothing to do with diet of nutrients in the soil - as the only factor determining whether or not the organism being studied becomes diseased, is exposure to specific infected material.
2.) Viral cultures demonstrate conclusively that the agent that causes these illnesses is not just transmissible, but also replicates - specifically showing that it doesn’t really matter how small the initial sample is, it can infect and kill massive numbers of cells. Over and over again.
Single samples can infect massive batches of viral cultures, from which single samples can be taken to infect other massive batches of viral cultures.
This proves conclusively the agent in the initial infections sample, replicates and thus disproves the possibility that these illnesses are caused by toxins.
Pro ignores this point.
3.) In addition, it is shown that the boiling the samples between transfer prevents infection. This proves conclusively that the replicating agent that produces the infection is biological in nature.
Pro ignores this point.
4.) From experiments, we can tell that there is a biological agent, smaller than a particular size that replicates within cells.
This means that if you had a microscope powerful enough, you could compare images of healthy serum with diseased serum to see if there are any agents or objects in one sample that aren’t in the other.
In the case of viral infections, experiments and images repeatedly show that whenever there is a given type of infection, the sample of diseased cell has small agents floating in it that don’t exist in healthy cells.
This conclusively proves viruses exist. Pro ignores this point.
Diet/Toxins
While I have gone through and detailed the experiments, the evidence, and why it shows viruses exist: pro has decided to simply assert his opinions about what he thinks causes disease.
If voters pay attention, he is simply telling you that all of the examples are explained by diet or toxins. Pro offers no controlled experiment, or argument as to why the data conclusively supports a dietary cause of viral infections: he simply asserts that it is so.
As a result pro is attempting to make an argument by assertion - simply telling you I am wrong is not sufficient, and must be rejected.
While there are many dietary diseases, and toxin based diseases: dietary or toxin causes cannot explain viral diseases for the following reasons:
1.) As shown above, viral diseases can be experimentally confirmed to be transmissible - dietary diseases are not transmissible. You can’t catch scurvy or rickets from someone else.
2.) As shown above, viral diseases can be experimentally confirmed to replicate - ruling out both toxins and dietary causes.
3.) Outbreak patterns of viral diseases don’t match that of toxins or diet.
For dietary diseases caused by lack of nutrients, it is to be expected that the disease should be present in ANY locations where the diet is sufficiently bad to cause the illness - regardless of the location or non dietary controls.[1]
IE: you would expect illnesses based on diet to have prevalence that correlates with a persons diets. For example, you would expect diabetes to correlate with high sugar diets, you would expect heart disease to correlate with high sugar high fat diets. You would expect scurvy to correlate with low vitamin c intake.[2]
For toxin or environmental diseases, you would expect correlation to the source of the harmful agent. And not exist outside that area.
For example, you would not have people with asbestosis that never had any contact with a source of asbestos, or have acute radiation syndrome if they had never been irradiated.
Viruses, and bacteria - have outbreaks that correlate with individual contact. STDs correlate with being in sexual contact with other people with the STD - never trust someone who says they caught herpes from not eating fruit.[3]
Given this, while the effects of diet on the human body are complex, and diet is a key indicator of health in general - some diseases are caused by a viral infection.
You will most assuredly feel better and be less ill if you have a better diet. No one disagrees with this. But leaping to the conclusion that eating healthily will stop you getting disease that can be probably shown to be caused by infections
Agent, is wholly unwarranted.
4.) Smallpox has been eradicated, dietary diseases have not.
A major disproof of pros contention is that many diseases have been close to eradicated - and smallpox famously has been completely eradicated[4], where as other diseases pro claims are caused by bad diet remain. Why did smallpox dissappear, if the dietary conditions that cause it still remain? Because smallpox is not dietary, but viral. And the virus pattern of replication and infection was halted by human intervention.
Minor points:
Pro asserts Tobacco Mosaic Disease is cause by nutrient poor soil.
As shown in the experiment, plants were and remained healthy until a disease source was introduced. This demonstrates the cause of the disease is the agent in the filtered sap - not produced by deficiencies of the soil.
Pro asserts that there was no disease before cities and agriculture.
There is literally no possible way for pro to know this is true, and pro offers no evidence - thus this should be rejected as unsupported.
It is also untrue. We have evidence of the diseases in humans and other organisms way before cities came along [5][6]
In addition, Wild animals also suffer from diseases and illness all over the planet, regardless of having a good diet[7]
In addition, hunter gatherer tribes in north/south America that did not have cities, or use agriculture - and have yet been decimated by infections when they have been brought over by settlers.[8]
This makes no sense if caused by diet. How can an illness sweep through populations that don’t use agriculture or live in cities; and is based on diet, if nothing changes in these populations other than being exposed to geographically remote human beings?
False correlation with poisoned wells.
Pro states, that poisoning of wells were misconstrued as viral outbreaks.
Some diseases, caused by bacteria in fecal matter or decaying corpses are present in the water supply.
We know these are caused by contaminated water. We also know these types of disease is caused by very very large organic objects that replicate - as we can culture the organic objects and use those cultures to produce infect in animals, and we can both boil or filter the water to make it safe to consume.
That aside, that’s only one type of disease. Illnesses caused by viruses, such as smallpox are different.
You have an out break source, and it spreads. It spreads around the village regardless of what water supplies are being used, and makes its way to other villages alongside people who travel.[1]
These can’t be explained simply by diseased wells.
Questions mop up.
Pictures:
“What reference did they use con? Can't you read? Note - You can't identify something without a reference to what it looks like. This is not a logical response by con.”
Pro should try not to be so rude.
As I explained in my opening round and clarified. While scientists didn’t know what a virus would look like, they had the following information that would allow them to confirm that what they saw was the cause of a disease, if viruses were the cause of that disease
- They would be less than 0.1 microns in size
- They would be present in diseased serum and sap in large quantities.
- They would not be present in healthy serum and sap processed in identical ways.
- They would be present in multiple disparate samples, and look similar in each example.
Given that, not knowing what a virus looked like in no way prevented them from identifying what they saw as the cause of the disease
“Its funny how people only catch the flu when they eat bad diets.”
Pro asserts this with absolutely no evidence or justification.
Pro is not entitled to his own proprietary evidence or facts, and if he has data that supports this, he should show it.
Otherwise, I cannot disprove evidence that pro has not presented.
In reality we know that smallpox - for example doesn’t pop up out of no where like he claims flu does.
We know polio, tetanus, HIV and rabies don’t simply pop up out of no where if you have a poor diet. You have to have specific exposure to infected water, infected cut or sore, direct contact with infected blood or sex with an infected person, and contact with an infected animals saliva.
Questions in general.
Viruses are biological particles of protein and RNA that replicate in a particular type of host cell, by using enzymes and the cells internal DNA replication mechanisms to make the cell replicate the virus.
Disease is caused by this process killing or disrupting enough of the cells to impact the function of the host in general.
When cells die, it releases a flood of these viruses into the host to infect other cells, and in many cases, causes the virus to spread through pores, fluids, touch, etc external to the host to infect others.
None of the questions asked by pro has any bearing whatsoever on whether or not such a particle exists or can exist.
Nor does any of these questions have any relevance to the detailed proof I gave that viruses do indeed exist in the opening round.
As a result, these questions and their answers neither prove nor disprove the existence of viruses and should be treated as irrelevant to the contention: and nothing more than a silly rhetorical ploy used in lieu of a meaningful or justified attack on the actual science involved.
Summary
Pro fails to support his burden of proof by showing that any evidence or argument that viruses can’t exist.
Pro fails to show any argument or evidence that viral diseases are caused by diet - relying on mostly unwarranted assertions that are not supported by data’s
Pro fails to address any of the detailed proof offered in round 1.
Sources
[1]https://wiki.ecdc.europa.eu/fem/w/wiki/types-of-outbreak
[2]https://pmj.bmj.com/content/80/942/224
[3]https://youngwomenshealth.org/2013/01/16/sti-information/
[4] https://www.who.int/csr/disease/smallpox/en/
[5] https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/earliest-evidence-of-tb-may-have-been-found-in-a-245millionyearold-fossil/
[6] https://www.jstor.org/stable/6697?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents
[7]https://www.highveld.com/virology/animal-viruses.html
[8]http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/coldwar/pox_weapon_01.shtml
1.) Some illnesses can be transmitted from one organism to another. We can take sap from a diseased plant (or serum from a diseased bird), and transmit it to another plant, or bird which then falls ill.These experiment prove there is some specific agent in these samples that produce and transfer the illness.
2.) As shown above, viral diseases can be experimentally confirmed to replicate - ruling out both toxins and dietary causes.
3.) Outbreak patterns of viral diseases don’t match that of toxins or diet
Viruses, and bacteria - have outbreaks that correlate with individual contact. STDs correlate with being in sexual contact with other people with the STD - never trust someone who says they caught herpes from not eating fruit.[3]
That aside, that’s only one type of disease. Illnesses caused by viruses, such as smallpox are different.You have an out break source, and it spreads. It spreads around the village regardless of what water supplies are being used, and makes its way to other villages alongside people who travel.[1]
As I explained in my opening round and clarified. While scientists didn’t know what a virus would look like, they had the following information that would allow them to confirm that what they saw was the cause of a disease, if viruses were the cause of that disease
- They would be less than 0.1 microns in size
- They would be present in diseased serum and sap in large quantities.
- They would not be present in healthy serum and sap processed in identical ways.
- They would be present in multiple disparate samples, and look similar in each example.
“Its funny how people only catch the flu when they eat bad diets.”Pro asserts this with absolutely no evidence or justification.
In addition, hunter gatherer tribes in north/south America that did not have cities, or use agriculture - and have yet been decimated by infections when they have been brought over by settlers.[8]
It is also untrue. We have evidence of the diseases in humans and other organisms way before cities came along [5][6]
I will re-iterate.
Proof of viruses that pro still has not offered evidence against.
1.) experiments show that a variety of organisms can be given particular “viral” diseases by applying material from infected organisms.
These experiments demonstrate that there is something in the organisms that cause the organism to get sick, which can be transferred.
Experiments of this kind keeps cells, cell cultures cultures, plants or animals being experiment on under identical conditions with the exception of the controlled exposure to infectious agent.[1][2]
This inherently rules out diet, as if the disease were diet based, there would not be correlation to the application of diseased material.
2.) The growth of viral cell cultures, and that successive transferral of disease from crops for viral cultures to the next, demonstrate that whatever is in these transferred media, it replicates.
This method conclusively proves that whatever is in the samples cannot be a toxin.[3]
3.) When comparing purified disease cells to health cells under a microscope - if viruses existed, one would expect to find objects of the expected size in the infected sample.
This is repeatedly the case. We have thousands of examples of images of viruses of all types via this process.[3][4][5][6][7]
We have even seen REAL TIMR images of viruses infecting cells:[3][8][9]
Hence, we know viruses exist, as we can see them, and can demonstrably show via steps (1) and (2) that these objects are what is causing the infection.
These 3 points demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that viruses exist.
This is literally an open and shut case: we know viruses can and do exist as we have seen them.
Pseudoscience explanations
Voters should pay close attention to pros tactics here.
I have provided Evidence and justification to why viruses exist. Rather than providing evidence, arguments and data that prove or justify pros burden that viruses can’t/don’t exist. Pro is merely producing unevidenced and unsupported counter explanations.
Such arguments should be rejected out of hand as wholly unwarranted.
For example: it is possible for someone to produce detailed arguments as to why the sun exists, only for an opponent to simply say “the sun is actually a bright satellite, and the government has faked all the photographs”.
Being able to partially explain a fact in some alternative paradigm doesn’t make that paradigm true; and cases where pro simply counters evidence with a forceful counter explanation should not be given the same weight as the detailed evidences provided thus far in support of viruses.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus caused by Toxins
In Round 2, pro argued vehemently this disease was caused by nutrient deficiencies. Pro now changes his story and argues its caused by toxins
Point (1) above proves it cannot be nutrient related and point (2) demonstrates it cannot be toxin based - the latter because taking a tiny sap sample and introducing it into a new plant should mean the toxin is diluted, and if done over and over again as pee cell cultures - should end up being non existent.
Toxins are often not destroyed by boiling, and are normally easy to chemically detect in the soil.[10][11]
While pro has a superficial explanation for the illness in the plant being transferred, pro ignores the key evidence that refutes his position: illness remains devastating on each transferral[12] nor offers no evidence or experiment that attempts to show the illness is toxin based.
All faked by pharmaceutical companies
While I am sure both governments and biotechnology companies are unethical: this does not mean that every pharmaceutical company, government, virologist, microbiologist, medical practitioner, clinical dietician, epidemiologist and health professional in the entire world for the last 100 - 200 years have been repeatedly and consistently upholding a major lie to the detriment of humanity.
Pro offers no actual evidence of such a global conspiracy, only some examples of governments being unethical.
Diet causes herpes and Spanish flu
Pro asserts - without any evidence at all - that the outbreak of Spanish flu, that spread around the world as an infectious disease and primarily killed health individuals were down to poor diet. It should be rejected as unsupported.
In all examples so far, pro is incredibly superficial both in his explanation, and in his descriptions of the facts he’s explaining. In this case, pro paints over all the facts and data that disagrees with him, and simply asserts (without evidence), that the whole entire world Went through a period of vitamin C deficiency.
Pros claims are incoherent. During world war 1 and world war 2 [13]there were food shortages, as there was during the Great Depression[14], as there have been numerous times in the Soviet Union[15], and in Africa.[16]
However - only one of major world wide flu pandemic outbreaks of the 20th century coincided with major periods of food instability[17], and even then, in each case the food shortage was relatively local.
Pros explanation, are superficial, and wholly lacking.
Volcanic activity and poor sanitation.
Pro again, doesn’t explain the evidence; and relies on superficial explanations of highly superficially interpreted data.
Sanitation in the Middle and dark Ages was very poor, it was poor everywhere.
The time when Black Death hit a given location in Europe was dependent on time, and location - it spread geographically over time - rather than simply popping up when sanitation was bad. [18] This is consistent with germ theory - not pros position.
Again, pros explanation is unevidenced, and obviously incorrect, and should be rejected.
Paleo dieters don’t get sick/vitamin C for herpes.
None of pros sources offer any evidence that claim
Pros first source is simply a link to the paleo diet. His second and third link confirms viruses exist:
2.) “you’re far less likely to be a good host (or hostess) to many of the bacteria, viruses and yeasts”[19]
3.) “The list below contains some of nature’s most powerful antivirals, antibacterials, and immune boosters to quickly prevent and/or knock out that virus.”[20]
Pros also sources for herpes a source (a quora page, so questionable), which pro cherry picks and selectively quotes, the source also says:[21]
“Vitamin C has been known to have the immune system boosting components that not only improve the immunity but also obliterate the virus of herpes.”
Pros own source again discredits his argument. Without having having to get into the questionable scientific claims.
Animal viruses and diseases
I offered evidence of diseases and illnesses in animals, and fossil evidence of disease predating agriculture and cities.
Pro simply dismisses this out of hand without evidence, asserting that prions don’t exist.
Hunter Gatherer Tribes
Evidence of Smallpox wiping out hunter gather tribes (which still exist), was provided in the previous round.
Pro asserts without any evidence at all, that the cause of smallpox was not the viruses that has been scientifically confirmed to be the cause, but changes in diet.
Pros argument should be rejected as unsupported.
Pro has no explanation for the chronological and geographic spreading of smallpox that typifies transmissible outbreaks.[22]
Conclusion:
In the previous round, I answered numerous questions Pro posed, pro ignores the majority of these responses.
In addition, pro is reliant on superficial explanations, and is thus far unable to provide any detailed experiment or support for his position.
Moreover pro has inherent burden of proof to demonstrate his contention that viruses can’t exist. He has not provided ANY argument whatsoever to support this position.
This debate is an open and shut vote for con.
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_virology
[2] http://www.apsnet.org/publications/apsnetfeatures/pages/tmv.aspx
[3]https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-microbiology/chapter/culturing-viruses/
[4] http://www.scopem.ethz.ch/gallery/02.html
[5] https://www.verywellhealth.com/hiv-microscopy-in-pictures-48651
[6] https://microscopy-analysis.com/editorials/editorial-listings/clearest-ever-image-ebola-virus-protein
[7]http://blogs.nature.com/houseofwisdom/2015/07/hepatitis-c-training-for-journalists.html
[8] https://m.phys.org/news/2016-03-viruses-piggyback-host-microbes-success.html
[9] https://www.flickr.com/photos/niaid/14440817981
[10] https://m.phys.org/news/2018-02-rapid-toxic-compounds.html
[11]https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/grassy-narrows-toxic-tap-water-not-fixed-by-boiling-expert-says-1.3211220
[12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2048519/?page=1
[13] https://spartacus-educational.com/2WWrationing.htm
[14] http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=2&psid=3434
[15] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russian_famine_of_1921–22
[16] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Famines_in_Africa
[17] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_pandemic
[18] https://www.ancient.eu/image/8954/spread-of-the-black-death/
[19] https://www.paleoista.com/nutritional-approach/eat-paleo-dont-get-sick/
[20] https://blog.paleohacks.com/cold-and-flu-remedies/#
[21] https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-relation-between-vitamins-and-herpes
[22] https://bestamericanhistory.wordpress.com/tag/smallpox/
For example: it is possible for someone to produce detailed arguments as to why the sun exists, only for an opponent to simply say “the sun is actually a bright satellite, and the government has faked all the photographs”.
While pro has a superficial explanation for the illness in the plant being transferred, pro ignores the key evidence that refutes his position: illness remains devastating on each transferral[12] nor offers no evidence or experiment that attempts to show the illness is toxin based.In Round 2, pro argued vehemently this disease was caused by nutrient deficiencies. Pro now changes his story and argues its caused by toxins
While I am sure both governments and biotechnology companies are unethical: this does not mean that every pharmaceutical company, government, virologist, microbiologist, medical practitioner, clinical dietician, epidemiologist and health professional in the entire world for the last 100 - 200 years have been repeatedly and consistently upholding a major lie to the detriment of humanity.
Pro asserts - without any evidence at all - that the outbreak of Spanish flu, that spread around the world as an infectious disease and primarily killed health individuals were down to poor diet. It should be rejected as unsupported.
In all examples so far, pro is incredibly superficial both in his explanation, and in his descriptions of the facts he’s explaining. In this case, pro paints over all the facts and data that disagrees with him, and simply asserts (without evidence), that the whole entire world Went through a period of vitamin C deficiency.
The time when Black Death hit a given location in Europe was dependent on time, and location - it spread geographically over time - rather than simply popping up when sanitation was bad. [18] This is consistent with germ theory - not pros position.
Paleo dieters don’t get sick/vitamin C for herpes.None of pros sources offer any evidence that claim
Animal viruses and diseasesI offered evidence of diseases and illnesses in animals, and fossil evidence of disease predating agriculture and cities.Pro simply dismisses this out of hand without evidence, asserting that prions don’t exist.
“the primary cause of the problem was soil nutrient depletion.”
“If you transmit diseased fluid unnaturally from one plant to another plant, then, you are infecting the new plant with the toxins of the diseased plant”
“I never stated that the Mosaic tobacco virus was a toxin based disease”
Experimental evidence.In round 1,2 and 3; I explained and outlined the experimental evidence that prove viruses exist, and provided multiple images of viruses.These explanations provide detailed reasons why diet and toxins can be ruled out as causes for these illnesses.Pro has repeatedly ignored these key arguments, and has simply asserted that these detailed experiments and examples can simply be explained by toxins and diet but cannot explain the details of how.
Sorry, con, but disease only started occurring when humans began to live in towns and grow agricultural crops. Disease is a result of redirecting nature into purposes that it was never meant for. Recent research has shown that agricultural products are unsuitable to the human digestive system and cause gut bacteria to leak into the blood stream.
Visual evidenceIn the first round I explained we knew viruses existed, as we had taken images of them. In the last round I provided half a dozen different images of viruses: including viruses physically infecting a cell, viruses attached to and attacking a cell.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]Pros only response was to simply dismiss these images as “mould”, pro offers no explanation, or justification as to why he feels these images are mould, and why every virologist so far has been mistake.Mold is a cellular organism and much larger than viruses and could not possibly confused.[8]As pro has not offered any rational or plausible disproof of the multiple images I presented - it is clear that he is unable to contest viruses have been observed and has lost this debate.
Pros argument from incredulityPro seems personally incredulous about the possibility of Bacteriophages existing.Despite his incredulity, I presented images not just of such phages existing, but them attacking cells.[1]No matter how incredulous pro maybe about the existence of bacteriophages - this does not mean they do not exist, especially when considering that visual confirmed evidence has been presented of them.
Pro has not been able to provide any medical evidence or explanation as to why smallpox, flu, herpes, and scurvy all have wildly different symptoms, wildly
The main physical symptom of scurvy is the disintegration of the body. The skin begins to break. It starts with little blood blisters and develops into full-scale ulcers. The gums begin to putrefy and become black. Bones that had previously broken rebreak. Old wounds open up.
- sudden onset of high fever which may be recurrent.
- widespread skin rash – flat spots which change into raised bumps then firm fluid filled blisters which then scab (see image)
- severe headache.
- backache.
- abdominal pain.
- vomiting.
- diarrhoea.
“the primary cause of the problem was soil nutrient depletion.”
“If you transmit diseased fluid unnaturally from one plant to another plant, then, you are infecting the new plant with the toxins of the diseased plant”
“I never stated that the Mosaic tobacco virus was a toxin based disease”
Pro has not offered any evidence or justification as to why nutrient deficiency explains how the illnesses appears to be transmissible from diseased plant to healthy plant. Nor hasn’t he offered any evidence of justification as to why nutrient deficiency explains how some illnesses appear to be the transmissible in humans or animals.
Pro claims without any evidence and without any justification that only those vaccinated died of Spanish flu in North America.
In addition, evidence was presented about out breakouts and patterns, and how these follow chronologically and geographically, these out break patterns match the idea of germ theory, illnesses travel with humans, so spread out from point sources from a single location: pro has yet to provide any justification to explain how diet and toxins can spread over large geographical areas from single point sources over time, nor explain the evidence.
Con is talking about medieval villages which had no sanitation, proper water supply, refrigeration and were subject to weather conditions. Now, if there was a long drought, then dozens of connected villages would suffer the same food shortages. Thus, vitamin deficiency can apply to large areas or countries even.Note - Volcanic activity was more common in the Dark ages. That's why they called it the Dark Ages because the sky was actually darker. Thus, less sunlight equals less food production which equals more disease. Logic explains everything. No need to use an irrational germ theory.
Pro claims that HIV viral load tests give different answers. He did not provide any explanation of why this proves viruses do not exist.
Pro claims without any justification that plants don’t get illnesses. They do.[9]
Peo claims without any evidence that people on the paleodiet do not get ill - despite using multiple sources that imply that they do indeed get sick from viruses.
Comments have the RFD.
To put it simply, this was a debate between one side constructed largely of logical assumptions and another constructed chiefly of actual evidence and support.
Pro's case largely amounts to statements about what sounds logical or illogical when it comes to disease and illness. The questions he poses from the outset are... interesting, but that's about it. None of them accomplish the goal of meeting his burden in this debate, which is to show that viruses can't exist. I'd like to emphasize that middle word: can't. Pro's goal throughout this debate seems to be aimed at introducing doubt, arguing that there are a series of alternative causes (e.g. diet and toxins) that cause all illnesses, though at best, that would only support the aim of showing that viruses do not cause the ailments he's pointing to. Can't implies that the existence of viruses is an impossibility, and while the logical tack does start down that road, Pro's efforts here largely seem to ignore evidence and just point out what he feels are logical impossibilities, regardless of what is known.
Con's case focuses entirely on what exists, and he goes into great detail regarding why Pro's alternative explanations simply do not suffice as meaningful challenges to a variety of diseases. Con points out that much of Pro's case is based on assertions that simply fail to meet any standard of proof, introducing nothing more than minimal doubt into the examples Con presents. It doesn't help that much of Con's support for the existence of viral diseases and their distinction from diet and toxins is either dropped or asserted as incorrect, rather than addressing the substance of Con's points. In particular, the point about repeated infectivity and transmission between organisms are basically dropped, both of which at least seriously challenge the notions that diet and toxins are responsible for these diseases. Much of Pro's response to direct imaging of viruses is to dismiss it as faked, though that once again sets the standard rather high for him to prove that it is true. He largely asserts this is true without support, or utilizes YouTube videos and other poorly-supported sources to make his point for him.
All of this leaves the door open for an easy Con win. He clearly shows that a virus can exist based on this evidence. Even if I buy much of Pro's logical argumentation and dismiss the evidence that Pro challenges directly, I'm still given enough reason to believe that Pro hasn't eliminated all possibility of a virus being the cause of every illness discussed in this debate. That's sufficient for me to vote Con, regardless, because if it is possible, then by definition, viruses can exist. So, even if I'm buying very little of Con's argument, any amount is sufficient to negate the resolution.
I will also award conduct to Con, as Pro repeatedly insulted him and others, calling those who believe in viruses “complete idiot[s],” calling his opponent a “dumb arse”, and stating that he has no logical capacity.
One last note. Pro says he has worked with in an electron microscope lab. I feel the need to point out that, even if this is true (it’s impossible to verify), Pro is speaking from his own authority rather than an independent one, which means any statements made based on that authority are tainted by his biases and desire to win this debate. I will say that I, too, have worked in an electron microscopy lab, and have images of my own purified virus particles (with all 11 criteria Pro listed) available if Pro is interested in seeing them, though I highly doubt he would take even that evidence seriously. My impression is that Pro’s views are so strongly held that meeting any set of criteria will always be insufficient, regardless of whether Pro himself sets them.
I am such a terrible debater that you forfeited 2 debates which were IDENTICAL (or at least one was, the other allowed a new angle for me to counter you with) to the one you already had with me. Yeah, I must be so shit for you to forfeit every single Round twice over.
rational idiot via whiteflame
Your language is full of violence and alpha male revenge. Thus, you will never make a good debater because you need a cool head to be a good debater.
So, you admit that diet plays a role in health. That's one baby step in the right direction. Now, you have to assess to what degree does nutrition play in maintaining a healthy and disease free body? My understanding is that you won't get leaky gut syndrome if you eat a paleo or normal human diet. Thus, if you don't get leaky gut, then, as a reward, you wont get disease. Thus, one baby step at a time and you have come around to logical thinking like me. lol
Acknowledging the existence of viruses does not mean we dismiss or undercut the importance of basic nutrition.
It's clear to anyone who sees our debates and the forfeits, who the little bitch is and who the alpha dog in the pound is. I needn't specify and incriminate myself in a flame war.
To Rational madman via whiteflame (blocked)
Like Mohammad Ali, you have been punched once too often. You are now half brain dead. lol
Of course you don't understand how the human body works so you wouldn't know why a person dies from stroke at a tender age of 52. Its all about what garbage that you pour down your throat. The more garbage, the sooner you will depart. Thus, most Hollywood stars burn the candle at both ends and eat terrible diets which leads to an earlier than expected death. Elvis Presley. Dead at 42. Too many hamburgers. He had 50 pounds of minced meat in his gut when he died.of heart failure.
Unlike Ramshutu, I put you in the dirt so hard that you are too terrified to type a single letter more, let alone word or sentence, in the other 2 debates we're having on the subject. Don't you dare even think to talk to me that way again, I am not some filth beneath your shoe; I am a fucking champion.
You are not educated. I don't know why you keep commenting on science issues when all you have is kindergarten knowledge of the subject. Note - You can't create a virus. What you can create are toxic chemicals like DDT which cause polio, ebola and zika 'so called viruses'. Its just a legal loop hole so that governments and pharmaceutical companies can make money out of suckers such as yourself. And they also avoid going to jail at the same time. Perfect!
Viruses exist.
You don't even know the true conspiracy, Somebody. Of course viruses exist because how else could the government have then created some of the diseases to make us dependent on their vaccines?
It's not wrong to believe in conspiracy theories; it's wrong to not fully comprehend them and make our side seem like idiots. People like you give conspiracy theorists a very idiotic image and I am not happy about it. Viruses absolutely exist, that is how the entire virus-creation conspiracy evolved. You are misrepresenting the case you're trying to make so severely that you're on the opposite side of it that neither conspiracy-theorists nor mainstream sheep believe in.
Do you want to know who agrees with you? African Pagans who think a witch doctor is going to save them and who are dying of AIDS, Ebola and Malaria. I wonder if they keep doubting viruses how long they will last. Do you want them to be wiped out? That is a horrific thing to wish, I want to inform them and also make clear that Paganism actually supports science as it's Christians and Muslims who are anti-science; we are their rivals ideologically.
Happy to do it.
Upside down donkey? That's... a new one. Don't think Luke Perry died because he believe in germ theory. As for those 11 criteria, a) you presented that for the first time in the final round, b) you never justified why all 11 criteria are necessary to validate any electron microscope image, c) even if this was a requirement, as I explained in my RFD, it's not required for Con to win. You keep trying to foist the burden of proof onto Con when it's up to you to prove the resolution true: viruses can't exist. He didn't have to prove anything except that there is some uncertainty regarding their existence, and he did far more than that.
No one here or elsewhere is arguing that vaccination protects you against all illness, though I'm getting the impression that you really don't care what we actually think.
I don't want you to give me any points because you are just an upside down donkey who knows nothing about anything.
Luke Perry dead at 52. Another person who believed in germ theory bites the dust very early. lol You two won't be far behind! lol
Con didn't provide the 11 criteria that are required for scientific proof. Thus, his case was not proved by any stretch of the imagination. Thus, both him and yourself will have to suffer a life of constant illness and disease because you believe in germ theory. lol Thus, justice will be served by the natural order of things. I would suggest you eat as much ice cream, cakes, soft drink, lollies and junk food as you can because your vaccination shots will protect you against all disease. lol Nitwits! lol
Thanks for taking the time to vote. I know that must have taken a while. I appreciate it.
Vote report: oteske // mod decision: removed
points awarded: all 7 points to con
Rfd: The Pro didn’t provide sources, and tried to change the rules for the debate.
Reason: The vote fails to meet the COC standards
So............ that means that you must be that person.
This seems less like a debate over an equal-sided issue and more like one person not being educated about science.
Oh yeah, I forgot one more criticism. Your writing style stinks. Its the writing style of a 5 year old. Its very disjointed, bad diction, no flow, no story line, no real life anecdotes, no logic, no respect and most importantly almost unreadable. lol
Your smart - alec - You should take his advise about computer viruses. Its the sneaky way to win which would suit your style and its probably your only real chance of winning. lol
Sure, that’s the argument I could make - I can’t stand semantic trickery like that when it’s clearly not what the instigator implied they were intending to debate.
It's not just biological viruses that exist, but computer viruses do as well.