What does Spam filters have to do with Bio-Med researchers around the world? It looks like Software scientists at Microsoft are testing their spam blocking techniques to see if these ideas can be used to find a vaccine for HIV. Today this alliance will be announcing a plan to use “ machine learning” or “data mining” computational techniques to decipher HIV’s wildly creative genetic ability to constantly change and disguise itself from immune system detection and deletion.
HIV is constantly mutating, but researches feel it shows a pattern somewhat similar to how spammers mutate their e-mails to avoid detection. What works for detecting and filtering spam may be the same technique used to find the secret of HIV mutation and someday find a vaccine. The Seattle Post Intelligencer has an excellent article and graphics that will show you more of the concept. We can only pray that something of benefit will come from this project.
Okay, This is Just Weird…
Who’d have thought that spam filters might unlock the secrets of HIV? Geek News Central links to the story. I know some people have said that spam is the AIDS of the Internet, but I thought they were being facetious….