The New Dark Age

A former adviser to infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci has pleaded guilty to conspiring to evade public records laws and conceal government documents related to ​grant research funding and the Covid-19 pandemic. David Morens, who had worked under Fauci ‌as a senior official at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) during the pandemic, entered his plea to a conspiracy charge during a hearing in federal court. The 78-year-old had been indicted ​in April on charges related to what prosecutors said was a scheme to thwart ​public records requests received by the agency beginning in April 2020 related ⁠to Covid-19 research grants. The Guardian

The scientist Jason Locasale looks at academia’s embrace of authority over scientific data and evidence in order to preserve narratives and protect those in power – and Fauci is the number one exemplar of such authority. Commenting on the revelations of Fauci’s diaries and the lessons we can draw from them, Locasale writes: “Dissent must be treated as part of science rather than a threat to institutional reputation. Uncertainty must be communicated rather than edited out. Scientific merit must be separated from grant volume, celebrity, political alignment, and bureaucratic skill. Fauci is not the entire problem. He is just its clearest illustration. He placed the biomedical establishment under a spotlight, and they have failed to confront the harsh light.” The Disinformation Chronicle

Japanese knotweed is an invasive plant in much of North America and Europe. It’s usually managed with toxic herbicides such as glyphosate, imazapyr and synthetic auxins, but concerns are increasing about the non-target environmental, human health, and regulatory problems that come with that approach. A new study (currently only published as an abstract of a conference presentation) tested whether extracts from the leaves of native stinging nettles and invasive pontic rhododendron, suspended in both water and isopropanol solvents, impacted growth and viability in Japanese knotweed over a 9-week controlled experimental period. The study found that shooting plants were significantly impacted by treatments applied, with rhododendron extracts more inhibitive than nettles, and 100% concentrations stronger than 50%. These treatments induced up to an 81% reduction to plant height, alongside reduced numbers of nodes, stems and leaves, as well as increased rotting, indicating impeded viability. Rhizomes, in contrast, were generally not impacted by nettle or rhododendron treatments, but were unexpectedly completely inhibited following the application of isopropanol solvent alone, with no signs of growth and total degradation after solvent applications. These findings suggest that the use of allelochemicals (biochemicals produced by an organism that influences the growth, survival, or reproduction of other organisms) and isopropyl solvents to inhibit the development of Japanese knotweed could be a novel management tool for controlling the spread of this and other invasive plant species. [GMW: Isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) has low environmental toxicity. It breaks down quickly through biodegradation and evaporation, does not build up in animals, and is not persistent, though large chemical spills can harm aquatic life and lower oxygen levels in water.] ARPHA Conference Abstracts

AI is a force multiplier, changing the biological sciences every day, says the investigative journalist Annie Jacobsen. She writes, “The real question is not whether AI can do catastrophic harm in the realm of biological sciences – it most certainly can – but whether public health officials can figure out how to deploy AI as a defensive tool faster than malicious actors deploy it as an offensive one. The offensive potential is no longer theoretical. AI systems can already help researchers navigate enormous bodies of biological knowledge that once required years of specialised training. They can explain complex laboratory techniques, locate obscure scientific literature, troubleshoot technical problems and suggest experimental designs. None of these capabilities is inherently dangerous. Together, however, they lower the barrier to entering what was once a highly specialised field.” The Guardian

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