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Ronald Bailey reports from a biology conference where scientists and public officials debate whether some science needs to be secret.
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|7.6.05 @ 3:47PM|#
Ronald's analysis is a great example of the "No security through obscurity" ethos of security researchers like Bruce Schneier. Very commendable, but I think the security types will have more influence with lawmakers in Washington.
|7.6.05 @ 8:53PM|#
"The truth shall make you free!"
Isn't that in Dubya's Bible somewhere?
I ain't skeered. Are youse?
|7.7.05 @ 11:08AM|#
Interesting points raised. The thing about "security through obscurity" is that it makes us completely dependent upon the quality of the security for protection, without the general public's knowledge of the potential risks, whereas open-ness and availability offers more options for protection.
James B.|7.7.05 @ 6:20PM|#
This thread is probably dead now with all that happened in London today.
Biowarfare scares me more than nukes and chemicals. Even if someone took out a city, horrible as that would be, we could still live pretty much as we do now. But a engineered super flu that kills a good perecent of the population could chage everything.
I wonder about the intelligence that saus that both state and non-state actors have or are working on dry SARS or making the flu more virulent. Based on the WMD fiasco is anyone going to believe us if we claim that Iran, North Korea (insert favorite bogeyman country) has these bad germs. Will even the US Public believe? Will a future President really be able to act against what he claims is an imminent threat?
I also wonder if some of these non-state and state actors might not be who we would expect them to be? Might Russia (for instance) like to develop a pathogen that affects only Semites or Central Asians?
Or if the crazy Muslim biologist with his plans to wipe out people of European descent has you worried. How about some disgruntled US scientists who have even more knowledge and resources developing a bioweapon to take on the Mideast?
I'm stokcing up on food and keeping my tank at leat half full so I can make it to my parent's in the Shenandoah Valley where I hope we can ride out any future attack.
PS: I got your book in the mail today, Ron. Any signing or appearences scheduled in the Philadelphia area?