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DNanoscientist Roland Wiesendanger of the University of Hamburg has defended his controversial study on the origin of the coronavirus against criticism. “It is perfectly clear that we will soon make the study available in many other languages,” said the professor, who is one of the leading scientists in his field and has already been considered the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. The problem must arise among the population of many countries.
In his article, Wiesendanger concludes that both the number and the quality of the evidence from a laboratory accident at the Virological Institute in Wuhan City speak as the cause of the pandemic. However, there are criticisms of the methodology of his work, whose sources include YouTube videos and newspaper articles.
Meanwhile, the Hamburg scientific authority has carefully distanced itself. “The freedom of science is an immovable asset. However, it applies to all forms of scientific research that if the data is unclear or uncertain, it is advisable to exercise caution, “said a spokesperson for Scientific Senator Katharina Fegebank (Greens) on Friday, adding:” A team of World Health The organization only had an extensive one a few days ago. Report presented on the outbreak in Wuhan and reaches other possible scenarios. ”
When the final report of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the investigations of an international group of experts on the origin of the virus in China was not yet certain on Friday. The authority itself was unaware of the intended publication.
The university declined to comment on the research in more detail, including the participation of the university’s rector, Dieter Lenzen. “The management of the university and the press office of the University of Hamburg do not exercise any censorship on the research objects and the results of their scientists,” said a spokeswoman. As a public institution, the University of Hamburg is obliged not to evaluate its content, but to “make it available for exchange and discussion in the specialist community or the public”.
Wiesendanger told ZDF that the publication was planned together with the president of Lenzen University, who is a researcher in education. It literally read: “I am proud of the President of the University of Hamburg. We talked extensively about the scenarios and what reactions there will be to the post. Reactions that want to put us in the corner of conspiracy theories, “he said.
In fact, initially only the tabloids and local media reported on the explosive study, the big scientific publishers of the republic stayed away; On the Internet, however, the study quickly caused a sensation and gained approval, but also much criticism. Student representatives from the University of Hamburg also expressed their opinion. “The publication only plays into the hands of conspiracy theorists and sparks anti-Asian racism,” he said.
Wiesendanger said in a reaction that he was “99.9 percent” certain that a laboratory employee was infected and therefore carried the virus in fall 2019. This laboratory orthosis is not new, nor is it considered disproved, but it is unlikely. The vast majority of other published studies also show host animal transmission as the most likely variant.
However, Wiesendanger claims to have collected 600 pieces of evidence that speak in favor of the laboratory orthosis: including scientific articles and studies, but also YouTube snippets and links to articles in publications such as “The Epoch Times”, which are popular with conspiracy theorists. found in the treatise.
The physicist, who is not a specialist in the field, did not carry out any research in the strict sense, and although there is talk of an “interdisciplinary approach”, Wiesendanger is the only author. A classical scientific assessment of a peer group was not carried out, as is in fact usual in studies of this type before publication. In the press release on the university’s letterhead, the announcement said that the study “did not provide any highly scientific evidence,” but “did provide numerous and serious evidence.”
This includes, for example, no bats being traded on the market, which is generally described as the location of the outbreak, but the lab has a large collection of bats. Wiesendanger also cites a few other studies, which are themselves controversial: Answers from other scientists are largely lacking in Wiesendanger.
Wiesendanger wants to stimulate discussion on “gain of function” research
Some of the statements are also politically explosive. “A research group from the Wuhan City Virological Institute has carried out genetic manipulations on coronaviruses for many years with the aim of making them more contagious, dangerous and deadly for humans. This is proven by numerous publications in the scientific literature ”, he writes.
On his own motivation, the 59-year-old said: “The current coronavirus pandemic not only dominates the current headlines, it will keep us busy for many years, especially due to the social and economic effects. It is understandable that dealing with and overcoming the Corona crisis has been the focus of issues in politics and the media for months. However, the critical and scientifically based examination of the question of the origin of the current pandemic is already of great importance, because only on the basis of this knowledge can appropriate precautions be taken to keep the probability of similar pandemics so low. . as possible in the future. ”
The aim of the publication is to stimulate a broad discussion, in particular with regard to the ethical aspects of research called “gain of function”, which makes pathogens more contagious, dangerous and deadly for humans.
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