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Creating death in a test tube

27 Dec 05:55am

Filed under: Bird Flu, Disease, Health, Influenza, Science

It’s the stuff of an edge-of-your-seat thriller: Scientists develop a fatal flu virus, one that could decimate humanity. What happens next?
Bit of sage butter and straight on the Weber with you. Pic: AP

Well, the fatal virus, a mutated strain of bird flu that can pass between other animals, is here. Scientists have created it in a lab - and it’s not clear what will happen next. Some scientists want to stop all the details of the research from being published for fear of bioterrorism, while others say ‘censorship’ will obstruct the search for a vaccine.

The very existence of the fatal virus, though, is a dramatic development. It echoes the plot of myriad horror flicks where the heroes battle an invisible villain amid gruesome illness and an increasing body count.

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Mark says:

08:55pm | 01/01/12

Hate to see the death of 90% of the population. But if we continue to overpopulate the way we have, it may not be scientists who create the virus that could wipe us out but mother nature. All other species on Earth have at some stage have populated in large… Read more »
J says:

02:59pm | 29/12/11

Oh dear. Erick & Bruno; that second post was almost entirely me taking the mickey (bar the first mini-paragraph). Hence the sledgehammer comment at the end. Annnnd now I’m roped into the debate itself, rather than pointing out an error in an argument I don’t disagree with. You have me… Read more »

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Colgo 26 May 12 12:23PM

Square kilometer array? Exactly http://t.co/GOte9QFy

_Tors 26 May 12 12:23PM

@pryorlisa I had exactly the same feeling when I bought the Women's Weekly the other day. I think it's demographic creep!

Colgo 26 May 12 12:22PM

@ClaireRConnelly hops into CSIRO and the government for the total non-campaign for the square kilometer array http://t.co/GOte9QFy

farrm51 26 May 12 09:22AM

RT @mumbletwits: +1 MT @meadea Adding voice to the boss RT @abcmarkscott: Hereby instruct @Colvinius to make a swift return to good health. (Take care Mark.)

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