Am a non-scientist, helping with polling at public places. Early results:
20% Natural origin
50% Lab
30% Not sure
Creating a pandemic virus in a lab:
10% Acceptable under certain circumstances
20% Banned
50% A Crime
20% Not sure
Have heard the phrase "Gain-of-Function"
15%
(Scientists - suggest using 'Create a pandemic virus' with public, not GofF.)
The amount of over-regulation coming will and should be commensurate with what is being protected. This is not about flying a 757 into a building, it is to guard against destruction even of civilization itself. There is nothing of value, says the public correctly, that justifies, taking even a single gamble where the jackpot is a pandemic like Covid, or worse. Your poll suggests that a random scientists' opinion on bio research and biosafety is upside-down. Bring up criminalization - is it taboo, or a spot of blindness? Probably the latter, given the conflicts having to do with career, prestige, a better paycheck, and freedom to explore? We, the public, are deeply disturbed, and rightly. In this case, this blindness amoung you is evil, insane.
It's early, but if you have knowledge of how to create a pandemic pathogen, or your studies of virus DNA/RNA will give you that knowledge, you might want to look for another profession, unless you're good with being heavily surveilled.
Am a non-scientist, helping with polling at public places. Early results:
20% Natural origin
50% Lab
30% Not sure
Creating a pandemic virus in a lab:
10% Acceptable under certain circumstances
20% Banned
50% A Crime
20% Not sure
Have heard the phrase "Gain-of-Function"
15%
(Scientists - suggest using 'Create a pandemic virus' with public, not GofF.)
The amount of over-regulation coming will and should be commensurate with what is being protected. This is not about flying a 757 into a building, it is to guard against destruction even of civilization itself. There is nothing of value, says the public correctly, that justifies, taking even a single gamble where the jackpot is a pandemic like Covid, or worse. Your poll suggests that a random scientists' opinion on bio research and biosafety is upside-down. Bring up criminalization - is it taboo, or a spot of blindness? Probably the latter, given the conflicts having to do with career, prestige, a better paycheck, and freedom to explore? We, the public, are deeply disturbed, and rightly. In this case, this blindness amoung you is evil, insane.
It's early, but if you have knowledge of how to create a pandemic pathogen, or your studies of virus DNA/RNA will give you that knowledge, you might want to look for another profession, unless you're good with being heavily surveilled.