New virus created in a Boston lab - 80% fatality potential

This seems to be a fairly balanced article about this issue:

https://dailysceptic.org/2022/10/23/...ls-80-of-mice/

I didn't miss it, I let it go by because the author has an issue with well documented information (using only slight hyperbole) on the scale of claiming atoms don't exist... Accepting him as an authority is like accepting an actor without any paleontology but played one in a movie is now an expert on the topic.
He's nothing more than another charlatan who has glommed onto the current zeitgeist as a money maker. Comparing his credibility to real peer reviewed papers is incredibly inappropriate.

Ed

Originally Posted by WebSlave

This seems to be a fairly balanced article about this issue:

https://dailysceptic.org/2022/10/23/...ls-80-of-mice/

Its not really that balanced an article as the facts are not reported without qualifiers to shift the article towards negative position.
As an example the fact that the University has high security (biohazard 3 and 4) is paired with being one mistake away from an escaped virus. These labs have multiple procedural steps with redundant backups to prevent a release so it is much more than one mistake. It would take multiple mistakes plus in conjunction with mechanical failures for there to even be a risk of release. The author downplays the safety of the lab to paint more of a negative picture.

For those without a science background there are some popular books that paint a more neutral picture without dumbing down the risks, off the cuff try "Virus Hunter: Thirty Years of Battling Hot Viruses Around the World."

Ed

Originally Posted by EdwardK

I didn't miss it, I let it go by because the author has an issue with well documented information (using only slight hyperbole) on the scale of claiming atoms don't exist... Accepting him as an authority is like accepting an actor without any paleontology but played one in a movie is now an expert on the topic.
He's nothing more than another charlatan who has glommed onto the current zeitgeist as a money maker. Comparing his credibility to real peer reviewed papers is incredibly inappropriate.

Ed

So, in a nutshell, no you didn't read the book, yet are willing to dismiss it out of hand in a prejudicial manner. Is that it? The book documents nearly all pertinent statements made with footnotes and appears to be well researched. And from what I have seen and heard personally from multiple other sources, appears to be dead on concerning not only the statements made, but also with implied concepts of how the pharmaceutical industry, notable private sponsors and government are working together. It is a VERY well written text that people should read, if for nothing else but to get a different perspective that perhaps they have never considered before.

As for "peer reviews", you seem oblivious to the possibility that "peers" are as corruptible as anyone else. You are apparently ignoring the power of what large sums of money can do to people's scruples.

But that is your opinion, and I am fine with you holding them dear. I am sorry, but I just do not share your world view.

Originally Posted by EdwardK

The claim that the virus was artificial is pretty much toast at this point based on multiple criteria. For a overview of the pro and con arguments see

Yee, Shermaine et al. “SARS-COV-2 as an artificial creation: scientific arguments and counterarguments.” Journal of medicine and life vol. 14,1 (2021): 118-120. doi:10.25122/jml-2020-0175
free access at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/art...ef-list-1title

Ed

Just to bring you a bit up to date....

GOP Senators: COVID-19 'Most Likely' Leaked From Wuhan Lab

An excellent article addressing these concerns in today's NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/30/o...8cb82d4a1eec94

Originally Posted by Lucille

An excellent article addressing these concerns in today's NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/30/o...8cb82d4a1eec94

Seems to be behind a paywall. Or they require getting my email address during registration.

How to read a controversial preprint paper on Covid’s origins

https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2...wuhan-virology

Quite frankly, I believe there is too much money involved with this whole COVID situation, along with too many people willing to accept large sums of money in lieu of being concerned with maintaining their integrity to expect that a true black and white image will appear.

And then you will have people who will make claims to increase their public profile, that become shaken by conflicting evidence, who will fight to the death to defend those claims rather than take a hit to a reputation hinging on their clinging to their position.

So that stew becomes a feeding trough for theories and speculations that will be pushed or pulled, depending on how much money is spent in order to promote a narrative with plausible deniability, and how many reputations can be built or destroyed by large stake holders involved.

All this does is to breed distrust and loss of confidence in the people trying to sift the wheat from the chaff seeing active efforts made to make both seem identical. Which may very well be the goal. Best way to destroy a society is to destroy trust in the government running it. It has worked before, and will work again. All that is needed is a suitable catalyst to get the attention of the teeming masses to have a focus forced upon them.

We are living through "interesting times".

So, just to keep things interesting...........

Experts worry Merck COVID-19 pill may give rise to new mutations