Finale had the idea for his site after seeing how claims of scientific consensus were used to stifle debate during the pandemic. He says he did not like the way in which questions on the origins of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 were dismissed by many high-profile voices as unscientific and off-limits. With no dedicated funding, Finale launched a basic version of the website in April to show how it could work. In pilot studies, he has invited virologists to comment on whether the database GIS-AID is the best venue for sharing information on pathogens in a public health emergency. And asked researchers in artificial intelligence about the merits of a