tleilaxu

[Emperor Harkonnen]

If there are no tleilaxu women, and the people do not mate like normal humans, then all the tleilaxu people have very similar, genetically speaking. This means that only one lethal ilness could wipe out the whole population of their planet!!!! :O

[Vanguard3000]

They're still varied as people. In fact, I would say moreso. Face Dancers are very different from Masters, and so on. Even on an individual level, there are different people. It's not like they are all clones of each other.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

but how does the genetical exchange work if they are all grown in axlotl tanks?

[Navaros]

one lethal virus can wipe out any species

genetic differences don't amount to much at all. if you go making out with someone who has SARS, you're gonna get SARS. if you go do stuff with people who have AIDS, you're gonna get AIDS. etc. etc. insert the disease of your choice into the blank, and the same principle always applies. if a certain species is vulnerable to a disease, then everyone of that same species will usually be just-as vulnerable.

[Exo Etherial]

Hrm, Nav, you seem to be forgetting racial immunities, resistences, microbiological adaptations, and the ever present and unsettling specter of evolution. Not everyone's immune system is wired the same, this is true because not everyone has the same face. Different face means different genes, which might mean that on some iniftesimle scale the immune system is different. I am sure with 100% confidence that there is an AID immune or SARS immune person out there SOMEWHERE among the 10-billion strong members of the human gene pool. This particular person might be vunerable to influenza though, and might be lying in bed horribly sick with it about to die; his relatives on the other hand will continue and with them there is a chance for another immune person somewhere later down the line.

And as for the Tlielaxu, you would have to try and figure out in they are all of the same limited genetic stock. Or are these axy... akkabakka... the tanks, do they employ some form of artificial gene tweaking to ensure some modecum of genetic diversity?

Diseases are under the heading of nuts and bolts humanity to me and as such, rather cold. The entire concept of the soul, personal choices, experiences, and individuality having anything but a limited (chemical tolerances sometimes affect how the body reacts to contagions to small degree) stake in how people react to disease is utterly laughable.

Here I go. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh my... ;D

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I gues those tanks do make some sort of genetical differense since not every tleilaxu looks the same...but all face dancers look the same so those could be wiped out with only one disease

[Vanguard3000]

Sure, but consider the medical advancements that would exist in the universe at the time - especially those created or reserached by the Tlailaxu. I think plague would pretty much be the least of their worries.

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I have also thought about that, but viruses always improve, and there has got to be some that it would take time to find a cure for and in the meantime would wipe out a great deal of the population

[Tio_Holtzmann]

and guys, we seem to be forgetting the fact that the tleilaxu use genes like we use a toothbrush - every day and with minimal effort. If a virus went around, either they'd have created it and they'd be immune to it anyway, or they'd just engineer a cure for themselves and prevent any major loss of life. End of story!

And there are tleilaxu women, they're just brain-dead. And living in boxes. And very compliant as a result with the whole genetic engineering thing. Come to think of it I know some girls like that.....

[Emperor Harkonnen]

I guess they can't have real women, cos the tleilaxu are so ugly they wouldn't get any :P

[Tio_Holtzmann]

Like i said, they're very compliant.

[Duncan_ghola]

the tleilaxu chose to look the way they did you know they are the masters of genetics the topic is mere... damn