Hard agree. And if this is useful, let me share something that often gets omitted (not by @kakape).
Variants always emerge, & are not good or bad, but expected. The challenge is figuring out which variants are bad, and that can't be done with sequence alone.
Feels like the next thing we're going to need is a ranking system for how concerning "variants of concern\u201d actually are.
— Kai Kupferschmidt (@kakape) January 15, 2021
A lot of constellations of mutations are concerning, but people are lumping together variants with vastly different levels of evidence that we need to worry.
-More viral shedding (infected people produce more virus)
-Increased interval of viral shedding (people are contagious for longer)
-Increased viral fitness (virus can replicate better in infected people)
-Better receptor binding (virus can infect cells more easily)
-Increased environmental stability (virus can remain infectious in the environment for longer)
-Increased ability to evade host defenses (virus can escape innate cellular defenses against infection and thus replicate better)
Could be one, some, or all of the above
-Render masks or other physical barriers useless
-Make the virus transmissible by a totally different route of infection
-Turn the virus into the infectious equivalent of a smart cruise missile
-Defy the laws of conservation of mass and energy
More from Science
Epic thread incoming:
I'm going to answer the question so many people have been asking this week:
WHAT IS PROJECT X???
Here's the definitive thread to tell you - and show you -precisely what Project X is
Grab a drink, sit down with me and let's #TalkLiberation
<3
1/?
"Project X" is actually called "PanQuake".
Pan means "all". Quake is the huge effect our voices can have when our communications are uncensored and when we have access to brand new functionality that *enhances* our social reach, rather than diminishes it
Here's our logo:
2/?
You can follow the fledgling official PanQuake Twitter account here: @pan_quake and see our super cool new website here: https://t.co/F7wLSeM6aK
You can find our donation page here: https://t.co/VICFnsR0RX
Keep reading this thread to find out why we created it & what it is
3/?
SPOILER ALERT: Much of the content below this point is from my personal slides & speech notes from today's launch event. That stream got totally ruined by (big) tech problems, but I'm happy to report everything is turning out wonderfully
Here are some of our most high profile & dedicated public advocates for PanQuake - many of whom were scheduled to appear at our launch. All of whom stuck around for hours, to do a prerecord of the event, which is being edited, processed & uploaded for you as I write this.
5/?
I'm going to answer the question so many people have been asking this week:
WHAT IS PROJECT X???
Here's the definitive thread to tell you - and show you -precisely what Project X is
Grab a drink, sit down with me and let's #TalkLiberation
<3
1/?
"Project X" is actually called "PanQuake".
Pan means "all". Quake is the huge effect our voices can have when our communications are uncensored and when we have access to brand new functionality that *enhances* our social reach, rather than diminishes it
Here's our logo:
2/?

You can follow the fledgling official PanQuake Twitter account here: @pan_quake and see our super cool new website here: https://t.co/F7wLSeM6aK
You can find our donation page here: https://t.co/VICFnsR0RX
Keep reading this thread to find out why we created it & what it is
3/?
SPOILER ALERT: Much of the content below this point is from my personal slides & speech notes from today's launch event. That stream got totally ruined by (big) tech problems, but I'm happy to report everything is turning out wonderfully
Not one single team member or guest left. We are all still here, smiling not crying, as we record this event and will get it out to you all very soon :)
— Suzie Dawson (@Suzi3D) January 17, 2021
I'm so proud of everyone, what an amazing crewhttps://t.co/RmE0BicIXF
Here are some of our most high profile & dedicated public advocates for PanQuake - many of whom were scheduled to appear at our launch. All of whom stuck around for hours, to do a prerecord of the event, which is being edited, processed & uploaded for you as I write this.
5/?

You May Also Like
A brief analysis and comparison of the CSS for Twitter's PWA vs Twitter's legacy desktop website. The difference is dramatic and I'll touch on some reasons why.
Legacy site *downloads* ~630 KB CSS per theme and writing direction.
6,769 rules
9,252 selectors
16.7k declarations
3,370 unique declarations
44 media queries
36 unique colors
50 unique background colors
46 unique font sizes
39 unique z-indices
https://t.co/qyl4Bt1i5x
PWA *incrementally generates* ~30 KB CSS that handles all themes and writing directions.
735 rules
740 selectors
757 declarations
730 unique declarations
0 media queries
11 unique colors
32 unique background colors
15 unique font sizes
7 unique z-indices
https://t.co/w7oNG5KUkJ
The legacy site's CSS is what happens when hundreds of people directly write CSS over many years. Specificity wars, redundancy, a house of cards that can't be fixed. The result is extremely inefficient and error-prone styling that punishes users and developers.
The PWA's CSS is generated on-demand by a JS framework that manages styles and outputs "atomic CSS". The framework can enforce strict constraints and perform optimisations, which is why the CSS is so much smaller and safer. Style conflicts and unbounded CSS growth are avoided.
Legacy site *downloads* ~630 KB CSS per theme and writing direction.
6,769 rules
9,252 selectors
16.7k declarations
3,370 unique declarations
44 media queries
36 unique colors
50 unique background colors
46 unique font sizes
39 unique z-indices
https://t.co/qyl4Bt1i5x

PWA *incrementally generates* ~30 KB CSS that handles all themes and writing directions.
735 rules
740 selectors
757 declarations
730 unique declarations
0 media queries
11 unique colors
32 unique background colors
15 unique font sizes
7 unique z-indices
https://t.co/w7oNG5KUkJ

The legacy site's CSS is what happens when hundreds of people directly write CSS over many years. Specificity wars, redundancy, a house of cards that can't be fixed. The result is extremely inefficient and error-prone styling that punishes users and developers.
The PWA's CSS is generated on-demand by a JS framework that manages styles and outputs "atomic CSS". The framework can enforce strict constraints and perform optimisations, which is why the CSS is so much smaller and safer. Style conflicts and unbounded CSS growth are avoided.