Nobel Laureate Agre Fears for Scientific Freedom

Scared Scientists writes "Peter Agre, who has just won the Nobel Prize for research on cell membranes, is finally a scientist with enough recognition to speak out about the policy of intimidation against scientists by the Bush administration. He says, with respect to Thomas Butler, a plague expert, "He was arrested and taken away in chains ... This is something that's bothered many of us". Many scientists have been outspoken about these problems thus far, maybe a Nobel Prize laureate has enough influence to finally move something. He even wants to use some of his prize money to battle the intimidation by the government."

Comments

Not a problem

[falsification]

Oh, cry me a river. Physicists have dealt with the same situation--that some information cannot be made public--for decades. Now, in light of the possibility of a mass biological or chemical attack, the same practices are being extended to chemists and biologists. Agre protests too loudly.

You can't have scientific freedom without scientific responsibility.

Re:Not a problem

[ProgrammerCat]

> If that is the case then why are you trying to
> make a case for a scientist who broke the law?

A google search indicates that Butler is accused of 69 counts of "authorities and smuggling goods into the United States to embezzlement and fraud". He has not been convicted yet, so I see no reason to accept the government's word as gospel.

The burden of proof is on Uncle Sam, after all.

On the other hand I agree with you with regard to the "blame everything but yourself" meme so popular in this defective culture. I have to admit, though, that it can be as tempting a lie as those sold by most religions.

Re:Good.

[Anonymous Coward]

> The problem is that, beyond the dynamite guy

You mean Nobel himself???

Not worth defending

[Orne]

"... specifically citing the criminal case of Texas plague expert Thomas Butler who has been charged by federal authorities after he reported he lost some plague samples. Prosecutors said he illegally transported samples from Tanzania and lied to the FBI about how he disposed of them."

There is an old saying, "Is this the hill you want to die on?" If I was going to speak out about scientists being harassed by the government, I wouldn't choose to defend one that was caught lying about illegally importing plague, and lost them! We're not talking fuzzy bunnies here, this is a toxic substance, scientific negligence, and fraud. How about we defend leaking classified rocket technology to the Chinese? Information wants to be free, after all. Or what if someone "accesses" a computer, downloads, and distributes the source code to a soon-to-be-released game? Oh, the oppression!

This man made some awesome discoveries, and for that he was awarded. Of all people, you would think he'd recognize bad scientific practices. I can only hope that he never engaged in moving his samples like this other scientist... but now you have to wonder why he'd defend it.