Google wants to debug, but not the way that you might think. The tech giant recently applied for a permit to release 32 million mosquitoes in California and Florida. Google’s Debug program wants to “stop bad bugs with good bugs,” and mosquitoes are the star of the show. While that sounds great in theory, just thinking about millions of mosquitoes flying around makes us itch.
According to Debug, the bad mosquitoes bite, breed, and spread diseases. The good mosquitoes don’t, and Google wants more of the non-biting, non-breeding, and non-disease-spreading kind.
“Good bugs are the same species of mosquito as the bad bugs that spread disease. Our good bugs are male mosquitoes that have a naturally occurring bacterium called Wolbachia, which makes them unable to have offspring with wild female mosquitoes. Male mosquitoes can’t bite or spread disease, so good bugs will stop bad ones from reproducing. Over time, there will be fewer and fewer bad mosquitoes,” the website explains.
Google Knows That Mosquitoes Are Deadly
Mosquito bites aren’t just itchy; they also can make us very sick, and Google wants to help stop the spread of their deadly diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mosquitoes are the deadliest creatures on the planet. There are 3,500 species of mosquitoes that spread diseases like dengue fever, Zika, and chikungunya to millions of people every year.
Google hopes to stop these nasty mosquitoes in their tracks.
“We’re currently developing our technologies and methods to target Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. This means partnering closely with scientists, communities, and governments.
Debug is off to a good start, but there is still plenty to do,” Debug explains. “We look forward to working with communities to show that by releasing enough good bugs, Debug can have a real impact on mosquito populations and disease. Eventually, we hope to help millions of people live longer, healthier lives.”
This actually sounds like a great idea. If Google can help get rid of disease-carrying mosquitoes, we are all in.
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