I'm still not sure what your point is. Mine is -- gain of function research on these covid strains is too dangerous to be done because of :MDlaxfan76 wrote: ↑Sun May 16, 2021 11:08 amYes, it is kind of "neat to go back and read through"...lemme just point out that Salty just made the argument that the research, if "gain of function", should not be allowed...because it could be for bio-weapon research...by the Chinese...Typical Lax Dad wrote: ↑Sun May 16, 2021 9:55 amYou are mischaracterizing the “quote from a non scientist”....he didn’t make the conclusion sport:youthathletics wrote: ↑Sun May 16, 2021 9:43 am We have a thread for this....and this is where the lab idea was poo-poo'd by a few...going as far as using a pull quote from a non-scientist (Top Brass) . Funny how we trust a military guy with science when it benefits our argument...I'll have to remember to do this more often.
Kind of neat to go back and read through some of this stuff as we were all sleuthing early on...
https://fanlax.com/forum/viewtopic.php? ... ab#p136008
He said:
“US intelligence has looked into the possibility that the coronavirus outbreak could have started in a Chinese laboratory, but that the “weight of evidence” so far pointed towards “natural” origins.”
You also understand what “so far” means in this context? So far, I don’t know who is going to win the games today....Check back later. I probably won’t be able to tell you at halftime either.....
I may have assumed US intelligence included scientists but I could be wrong.
This is exactly the sort of argument I was warning and pushing back against back then, which others denied applied to any of our fellow FL posters, that this was being used to politically blame an "Other" country (China) and any thing involving international oversight (WHO), and to promote the anti-scientific bias of many in our country.
This research, carefully executed and with active international oversight and transparency, is tremendously important for the prevention of zoonotic pandemics...I noted at the time that we have had many zoonotic pandemics in human history (preceding any such research), but the risk of such pandemics has increased dramatically with human density and mobility.
So, the withdrawal of US engagement and the defunding of international oversight, is exactly the opposite direction we should have been going these past years, and year, and going forward. Alienating others in the international community on this topic is ridiculously stupid. Yet, that's exactly the point of the Trumpist, nativist, anti-science conspiracy mongers...it's all about manipulating domestic voters for a degenerate liar's authoritarian aims...and lots and lots of people line up to join in, amplify...whether that's their conscious intent or not.
I'm 100% in favor of the scientists who actually understand the research, its risks and misapplications, as well as the benefits...to focus on the safety and oversight necessary. Debate away experts, work hard on making sure any such is done safely...but those coming at this as an opportunity to "blame" an "Other" I reject 100% as well.
1) the risk of accidental release
2) potential for use as a bio weapon.