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Science Editors Urge Nondisclosure Of Bioterror Info
Jeraph Mason writes "According to this story on ABC news, science editors want to censor their publications because terrorists may use them. It's the same argument used to prevent security disclosures from being published." There's also coverage on the BBC and at The Washington Post.
Why are scientist paid to do work on weapons?
I say, let the information be free - if it is dangerous research, stop doing the research.
No, the journals have a joint interest with the government here. Both would like to avoid the transfer of academic discourse from the channels that can be controlled to the Internet.
The government is concerned about every publication that prints dissident views. They have tried repeatedly to stop Ted Postol at MIT from telling people that missile defense is based on junk science and blatant lies.
The science journals are worried that their readership is starting to realise that the journal system is a racket. The authors pay to get published, they edit the journals for free and then their universities pay a fortune to get highly restricted access to the information.
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I think the less people know, the better.
Nobody ever considers that maybe they don't know everything. Nobody stops and realizes that they don't fully understand the material that the writers want to censor (in this case). In fact, I'm not yet convinced that most /. posters aren't just rudimentary AI routines. Responses to posts containing the word "censor" are typically replied to with "CENSORSHIP, BAAAD!", and the withholding of a couple of science articles will, of course, drag all scientific progress to a total screeching halt.
YOU ARE A TOTAL FUCKING IDIOT.
For Christ's sake, you delusional paranoiac, put down your fucking tin foil and read the news or something. Nobody is going to jail you for "speaking out," and nobody is "stifling dissent." If you want to protest the war, fine, but you don't have a right to do so without criticism.
NOW SHUT THE FUCK UP.
Who's the crackhead moderator who gave points to this total fucking drivel?