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THREAD
#cummings blog edit & Dangers of #SyntheticBiology
1. Yes Cummings over-egged his #superforecaster skills and he only edited #coronavirus into his blog on April 14th
https://twitter.com/FullFact/status/1265342435871174656?s=19 https://twitter.com/faisalislam/status/1265239163089096706?s=19
#cummings blog edit & Dangers of #SyntheticBiology
1. Yes Cummings over-egged his #superforecaster skills and he only edited #coronavirus into his blog on April 14th
https://twitter.com/FullFact/status/1265342435871174656?s=19 https://twitter.com/faisalislam/status/1265239163089096706?s=19
2. Political aside
YES, he should resign
A. for central role is appalling UK #COVID19 response
B. utterly undermining Govt lockdown rules - will lead to further deaths due to the appalling example set as people grow weary
#CummingsMustResign https://twitter.com/peterjukes/status/1265440357795405824?s=19
YES, he should resign
A. for central role is appalling UK #COVID19 response
B. utterly undermining Govt lockdown rules - will lead to further deaths due to the appalling example set as people grow weary
#CummingsMustResign https://twitter.com/peterjukes/status/1265440357795405824?s=19
3. However, #Cummings blog is interesting
It DID warn of biosecurity risks, and how "routine errors" could lead to a global pandemic. Here is opening paragraph
https://web.archive.org/web/20200408220215/https://dominiccummings.com/2019/03/04/the-most-secure-bio-labs-routinely-make-errors-that-could-cause-a-global-pandemic-are-about-to-re-start-experiments-on-pathogens-engineered-to-make-them-mammalian-airborne-transmissible/
It DID warn of biosecurity risks, and how "routine errors" could lead to a global pandemic. Here is opening paragraph
https://web.archive.org/web/20200408220215/https://dominiccummings.com/2019/03/04/the-most-secure-bio-labs-routinely-make-errors-that-could-cause-a-global-pandemic-are-about-to-re-start-experiments-on-pathogens-engineered-to-make-them-mammalian-airborne-transmissible/
4. And closing paragraph
So it is true that he was warning about biosecurity and possible global pandemic in general
So it is true that he was warning about biosecurity and possible global pandemic in general
5. Now to the HUGE risks of #SyntheticBiology
On May 4th, @nature published pre-release paper on how the entire #SARS-CoV-2 virus had been synthesised in a Swiss lab
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1257308191064379395?s=19
On May 4th, @nature published pre-release paper on how the entire #SARS-CoV-2 virus had been synthesised in a Swiss lab
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1257308191064379395?s=19
6. WATCH the video in here of the extreme protective measures in the lab https://twitter.com/unibern/status/1257275617797644288?s=19
7. What amazed me when I read the full article was this timeline on page 5. The entire virus had been synthesised by Feb 12th.
8. This was done by #SyntheticBiology methods from gene sequences from the early epidemic in China
Essentially synbio can enable mutations and others experiments to be done virtually instantly. The paper describes making several variants.
Essentially synbio can enable mutations and others experiments to be done virtually instantly. The paper describes making several variants.
9. The capability of #SyntheticBiology is truly frightening as evidenced by the @nature paper.
"Routine error" and #SyntheticBiology are a deadly combination
Cummings should have added that to his blog on May 5th! https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1257308191064379395?s=19
"Routine error" and #SyntheticBiology are a deadly combination
Cummings should have added that to his blog on May 5th! https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1257308191064379395?s=19
10. In summary, #cummings blog warned on biosecurity risks.
Now it is under scrutiny, that WARNING should not be lost in political fallout of his misjudgement and arrogance elsewhere
/END THREAD
Now it is under scrutiny, that WARNING should not be lost in political fallout of his misjudgement and arrogance elsewhere
/END THREAD
