BRINGING ABOUT THE END OF DAYS FOR TENURE

I’m baaaacccck!

Talk about scary, huh?

You may recall that last year a scientist in the Netherlands (or maybe the nether worlds) decided to play around with the “world’s most deadly” avian flu virus. He decided it would be an excellent idea to make this lethal bug “contagious to humans.” As such, the mutated virus would kill half of the people exposed to it in a sneeze.

Now, I am an ardent advocate of advanced education. You can not be too smart or too educated. “Over educated” is a bullshit concept perpetrated by under-educated, intellectually-challenged nincompoops.

I mention that, because there are some highly educated people who are totally screwed in the head. Such as, anyone who would want to genetically alter the “world’s most deadly” flu virus so that is would be contagious to human beings!

Seriously! What was in the Dutchman’s pipe?

Some researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison did similar research. Between the two, a serious firestorm erupted among academics and security experts about publishing the results of these studies in scientific journals.

Now, again, I am a strong advocate of academic freedom; however, in this case maybe a little restraint is in order.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “Scientists argued that researchers need those details to better detect and fight a possible epidemic of the virus, known as H5N1. Security experts argued compellingly that the studies should be expunged of key details, lest terrorists use that information to unleash a devastating biological weapon.”

On top of that there is fear that the do-it-yourself biologist/terrorist could conceivably create a doomsday weapon in his basement or garage.

In academia, the rule of survival is publish-or-perish. Unfortunately, this whole thing give “perish” an entirely new spin.

Fortunately, both Science and Nature, top academic journals, have refused to publish the results of these studies at the request of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity. This board consists of experts that counsel federal health officials.

Inexplicably, biologists gathered by the World Health Organization (WHO) proposed releasing the full details of the studies. Why? Well the Dutchman now says his contagion isn’t nearly as contagious as he first pronounced.

Cold comfort, eh?

The Americans are not buying it and thus far do not support the WHO panels proclamation.

Thus, while I am an advocate of academic freedom in particular and academia in general, I do not want to see these studies publish with full details. Leaving out key portions that would obstruct the development of an Armageddon virus seems only prudent in a world fraught with wild-eyes lunatics bent on killing as many infidels as possible.

So, fine, call me paranoid and color me chicken.