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You can be sure that some governments have significant amount of deadly viruses at their disposal [0]. I've heard anecdotes that Russian facilities storing blac

You can be sure that some governments have significant amount of deadly viruses at their disposal [0]. I've heard anecdotes that Russian facilities storing black death amongst other bio weapons routinely lose power due to lack of funding [1]. So stockpiles of stuff are readily available, thus the question transforms from "Is it ethical to have this stuff?" into "Is it ethical for researchers to have access to this stuff?". I think that, with appropriate security measures being taken, it is imperative for researchers to access viruses that pruned significant portion of human population. If you look at this from evolutionary standpoint plagues killed everyone with immune system that was not prepared to deal with that infection, thus shaping the course of evolution of human species. TL:DR: To understand where we are evolutionary we need to understand where we came from. I think deadly viruses that wiped out significant portion of human population are important part of that evolutionary path. Moreover, even if a virus escapes, I do not think danger is significant, because infection already pruned some part of human population with immune system not capable of handling it. [0] "http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8267370/We-must-keep-smallpox-stocks-US-and-Russia-tells-World-Health-Organisation.html" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/8267370/We-must... [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vozrozhdeniya_island http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vozrozhdeniya_island

didgeoridoo 12y ago
I think the problem with Spanish flu is the fact that it selectively blows away populations with strong, healthy immune systems — i.e. the sorts of people who tend NOT to be "pruned" over the decades by infection.
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- erkkie 12y ago
  Yes, it's purported to be a positive feedback loop in the immune system known as Cytokine storm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm#Role_in_pandemic_deaths http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm#Role_in_pandemic...).
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kybernetyk 12y ago
"Biohazard" [6.2831] is a very interesting read about the soviet biological warfare programme. Written by one of its key members. [tau] http://www.amazon.com/Biohazard-Chilling-Largest-Biological-World--Told-ebook/dp/B0031RS5DI/ http://www.amazon.com/Biohazard-Chilling-Largest-Biological-...
- Wingman4l7 12y ago
  I was initially keen to read this, as it appears to be one of the only works on the topic. However, the author's scientific credibility and "authenticity" (for lack of a better term) has been called into question: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Alibek#Criticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Alibek#Criticism
jrochkind1 12y ago
> So stockpiles of stuff are readily available, thus the question transforms from "Is it ethical to have this stuff?" into "Is it ethical for researchers to have access to this stuff?" How do you figure? People, organizations, and states do unethical things all the time. How does the fact that some governments are doing something put the question of "Is it ethical" off the table? After all, we know that some researchers already have access too, that's what the OP is about. So by your reasoning, does that mean the question of "is it ethical for researchers to have access" is off the table too, since some already do?

didgeoridoo 12y ago

I think the problem with Spanish flu is the fact that it selectively blows away populations with strong, healthy immune systems — i.e. the sorts of people who tend NOT to be "pruned" over the decades by infection.

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erkkie 12y ago
Yes, it's purported to be a positive feedback loop in the immune system known as Cytokine storm (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm#Role_in_pandemic_deaths http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytokine_storm#Role_in_pandemic...).

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kybernetyk 12y ago

"Biohazard" [6.2831] is a very interesting read about the soviet biological warfare programme. Written by one of its key members. [tau] http://www.amazon.com/Biohazard-Chilling-Largest-Biological-World--Told-ebook/dp/B0031RS5DI/ http://www.amazon.com/Biohazard-Chilling-Largest-Biological-...

Wingman4l7 12y ago
I was initially keen to read this, as it appears to be one of the only works on the topic. However, the author's scientific credibility and "authenticity" (for lack of a better term) has been called into question: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Alibek#Criticism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Alibek#Criticism

jrochkind1 12y ago

> So stockpiles of stuff are readily available, thus the question transforms from "Is it ethical to have this stuff?" into "Is it ethical for researchers to have access to this stuff?" How do you figure? People, organizations, and states do unethical things all the time. How does the fact that some governments are doing something put the question of "Is it ethical" off the table? After all, we know that some researchers already have access too, that's what the OP is about. So by your reasoning, does that mean the question of "is it ethical for researchers to have access" is off the table too, since some already do?