The Divide Between Scientists and the Public

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i think there is sort of a growing divide among scientists. i feel like one i talke to most, and 've talked, i should say i've talked to dozens of scientists now about this,. i think actually the divide is really duanced in a way that maybe the public in the media sometimes does grasp very well. There's sort of scientists that are saying, listen, if it's possible, we need to investigate it. And there scientists who are saying, when you're yelling, to investigate it because it's possible.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been allegations that SARS-CoV-2 could have originated in a Chinese lab. A phase one WHO investigation concluded that a 'lab-leak' was "extremely unlikely" and yet, the theory has seen a resurgence in recent weeks with several scientists wading into the debate.

In this episode of Coronapod, we delve into what scientists have been saying and ask how and why the 'lab-leak' hypothesis has gained so much traction. We ask if the way we communicate complex and nuanced science could be fuelling division, and what the fallout could be for international collaboration on ending the pandemic.

News: Divisive COVID ‘lab leak’ debate prompts dire warnings from researchers

Science: Investigate the origins of COVID-19

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