Founder at Biometrology. Nanobiologist, scanning probe microscopist. Frmr research scientist: US Dept of Energy, Digital Instruments, Univ of Chicago faculty.
Chicago, IL
Joined August 2021
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The writer surmises that it's BETTER we were misled about "lab leak" being a conspiracy theory. Otherwise the truth may have led to WW3. No! What the truth would've led to is a definitive answer on origin &tighter global biosafety/security regulations.
nytimes.com/2025/05/21/opini…
When the world needs a genuine investigation w independent forensic testing (as it did in Wuhan). We now know it'll get a delayed negotiated study lacking the access req'd to adequately investigate. Leaving critical evidence unavailable &an outbreak pathogen's origin unresolved.
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6 Sins of Ardent Market Proponents
1. Favored circumstantial evidence for natural zoonosis while more aggressively scrutinizing the untested lab leak hypothesis (LLH).
2. Settled on a preferred Market conclusion ignoring critical evidence never properly collected or examined.
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3. Treated LL as an attack on science rather than a valid scientific hypothesis warranting proper investigation.
4. Discounted possibilities that exposed uncomfortable questions including re: COI, research practices, biosafety/security, funding, institutional responsibility.
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Yes, more published evidence supports Market theory, but quantity does not add to quality or confidence here. As Irkutsk, evidence needed to establish what really happened in Wuhan remains missing. Therefore virologists are premature to claim origin clearly solved at the Market.
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10Jan'20 nCoV seq makes LL alarmingly plausible to Dr Daszak. So what did he do? Orchestrate Lancet letter calling LL "conspiracy theory"; via media label LL "pure baloney"; join the WHO origin team; etc. AFAIK no virologist ever calls out the blatant COI, instead supporting him.
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Market theory: "100%" "the ONLY plausible scenario".
LLH: No "scenario is plausible.”
Who could possibly be left unconvinced?
Baric, Bloom, Eloit, Gao, Lipkin, Munster, Relman, Wain-Hobson, US/German Intel, SAGO, etc.
*Origin evidence is inconclusive.
youtu.be/UT3pP7c5de0
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The wildlife trade study identified 107,356 species that are either in use or traded globally – far higher than a previous estimate of about 50,000. theguardian.com/environment/…
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Origin was always inconclusive but Daszak &Worobey's rhetoric rec'd a lot of press.
2020: LL's a "conspiracy theory", "pure baloney".
2021: LL's "extremely unlikely"
2022: Market is the "only plausible scenario".
2025: Origin evidence is "inconclusive".
who.int/publications/m/item/…
New paper w implications re: SC2 as naturally evolved. No fcs found but "QTQTNS motif in add'l SC2r-CoVs further adds to prev reports" re: "a site of active evolution w/in.. SCr-CoVs, &that an FCS would likely.. evolve rapidly under selection pressure."
nature.com/articles/s42003-0…
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