On Saturday, December 21, 2002, at 10:07 AM, Eugen Leitl wrote:
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2002/1217/1And where in the United States Constitution is there provision for controlling which experiments may be done, for what research articles may be published, for what thoughts may be thought?
Policing Bioterror Research
One of science's hottest fields is now becoming one of its most heavily
regulated, too. The U.S. government last week unveiled sweeping new
bioterror research regulations that will require 20,000 scientists at
nearly 1000 laboratories to beef up security--or face hefty fines and jail
sentences. The interim rules, due to go into effect early next year, could
also force scientists to get prior approval for a growing list of
sensitive experiments.
None, of course. The fact that some biological research may be dangerous or may be used as a weapon, ultimately, is no different from the fact that some physics research may be dangerous or used as a weapon, or some computer research, or even some mathematics research.
This just says the Bill of Rights is no longer operative.
(But, hey, EPIC is glad they got the right to distribute union pamphlets left in the New Interpretation. Good to know non-Cypherpunks-friendly activists are still lobbying in D.C.!)
(By the way, Eugene, I had to snip out a vast chunk of included text from you message. Please include only URLs for very long pieces. If not, I'll have to killfile you as I have done with other serial posters.)
--Tim May
