The ‘lab leak’ hypothesis clouds the real question that needs to be answered
By Kent R. Kroeger (February 28, 2023)
“People don’t deem you controversial because you are wrong, they deem you controversial because they wish you were wrong.” — Chris Frank
“Life is a tragedy when seen in close-up, but a comedy in long-shot.” — Charlie Chaplin
“Trust by verify.” —President Ronald Reagan
Nothing kills the advancement of knowledge better than asking the wrong questions.
Case in point…
Over the weekend, the U.S. Energy Department released their analysis of the origins of COVID-19, deciding that, with ‘low confidence’, the ‘lab leak’ hypothesis is the most likely cause of a pandemic that has killed nearly 7 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.
The major news outlets — The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, and NPR — quickly emphasized that the Energy Department’s conclusions are with ‘low confidence,’ never mentioning that fact that the alternative hypothesis — that the virus had natural origins — garnered even lower confidence within this little known group of Energy Department scientists.
