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People kept spamming me to comment on the 2 recent specials by @FoxNews @SteveHiltonx @NextRevFNC
Overall, I have to say that these specials put scientists like me in a very difficult position. There's a lot right, but also a lot wrong with the specials.
Overall, I have to say that these specials put scientists like me in a very difficult position. There's a lot right, but also a lot wrong with the specials.
First: the finger pointing.
If you cast the issue of covid origins as a finger pointing exercise, I promise you that you're not going to get the top experts on your side.
If you cast the issue of covid origins as a finger pointing exercise, I promise you that you're not going to get the top experts on your side.
I love my job.
And I'm not going to lose it because someone wants to blame the NIH or Fauci for it.
Even if the US did not sponsor SARS research in China, it would've happened.
And I'm not going to lose it because someone wants to blame the NIH or Fauci for it.
Even if the US did not sponsor SARS research in China, it would've happened.
Do you seriously think that if the NIH cut off "gain-of-function" research funding now, that it would all go away?
No.
No.
If I've learnt nothing else in 2020, it is that science is political.
Somehow the media doesn't seem to be able to convey scientific facts to their audiences unless they can spin it for or against a political individual/party.
Somehow the media doesn't seem to be able to convey scientific facts to their audiences unless they can spin it for or against a political individual/party.
The 2 things that are right @SteveHiltonx specials:
(1) There was a lot of bat virus collection + research by the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
(2) It would be massively embarrassing if this work - to prevent pandemics - actually resulted in the worst pandemic of our lifetime.
(1) There was a lot of bat virus collection + research by the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
(2) It would be massively embarrassing if this work - to prevent pandemics - actually resulted in the worst pandemic of our lifetime.
The things that are wrong:
(1) Natural spillover happens a lot. Different species of bats give each other and other animals viruses quite frequently.
(2) That NIH response to you was not deceptive.
(1) Natural spillover happens a lot. Different species of bats give each other and other animals viruses quite frequently.
(2) That NIH response to you was not deceptive.
I know the numbers looked different, but the NIH response was addressing the same grant; they only changed the last digit 01 to 06 which come from the same grant but different years: https://grantome.com/grant/NIH/R01-AI110964-06
And both AI110964-01 or 06 lead to similar grant descriptions: "We will use S protein sequence data, infectious clone technology.. infection experiments.. analysis of receptor binding to test the hypothesis that % divergence thresholds in S.. sequences predict spillover.."
I'll put it right here as someone who thinks lab origins are quite possible:
SARS-CoV-2 (the covid virus) does not look like a lab construct.
SARS-CoV-2 (the covid virus) does not look like a lab construct.
Natural origin scenarios are not a stretch. They are plausible. The same applies to lab origin scenarios.
What scientists should be asking for is a fair investigation of both natural and lab origins. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-world-needs-a-real-investigation-into-the-origins-of-covid-19-11610728316
What scientists should be asking for is a fair investigation of both natural and lab origins. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-world-needs-a-real-investigation-into-the-origins-of-covid-19-11610728316
That NIH response was correct. That work was not performed to make more infectious viruses. It was performed to check whether naturally found viruses (or their parts) have the ability to infect humans
They did not specifically violate the "Obama" ban on federal funding; they just failed to realize that the sampling and characterization of wild life viruses was also very risky: https://twitter.com/Ayjchan/status/1354469685539041284
We just don't know right now what was in the collections of Chinese labs. We don't know what research was done. And I believe that both the NIH and EcoHealth Alliance also do not know. Why would the Chinese government/military labs tell their US friends what they were working on?
If you want legitimate, respectable scientists to come and talk on your show, you will have to pull back on all the BS finger-pointing.
Is your priority to find the true origins of the virus, or to slam your political opponent?
Is your priority to find the true origins of the virus, or to slam your political opponent?
Unfortunately, I feel like (at least on twitter) a lot of people would rather their own country fall into the pits of hell - as long as they bring their political opponents with them - than to be able to find the truth about what is endangering humanity.
And that doesn't apply to only @FoxNews - it applies to the other side that decided not to investigate/publish/report on any covid lab origins until you were sure that it wouldn't give Trump any oxygen.
Now we are 1 year behind.
