Private channel session 34

20 messages over 19m, 2020-05-06 – 2020-05-06.

A “conversation” here is an activity session — a run of messages with under 60 minutes of silence inside it. The channel had no native conversation boundaries.

2020-05-06 20:03 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.15

I think the local right-wing paper here (The Telegraph) are going to a run a story saying that I am in the pay of China which is why I am against the lab escape theory. Will get my lawyers ready...
2020-05-06 20:13 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.15

Oh, how fun - "Eager Eddie" on the front page with tons of monies floating around. :heavy_dollar_sign::heavy_dollar_sign::heavy_dollar_sign::heavy_dollar_sign::heavy_dollar_sign:
2020-05-06 20:13 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.15

... that is to say - that's really messed up. Let's hope it doesn't come to that
2020-05-06 20:17 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.15

shared file(s): Daily Telegraph media inquiry.pdf
2020-05-06 20:18 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.15

Obviously, I've not received a cent and no money goes between the two countries. Worse, the irony is that we were some of the very first people to actually raise the lab escape issue, although I obviously can't say that.
2020-05-06 20:21 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.15

Reading that email, are they daft? That's really dumb
2020-05-06 20:22 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.15

Yes, really, really dumb.
2020-05-06 20:23 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.15

"we were some of the very first people to actually raise the lab escape issue" - we were _the_ first to take this seriously - and so we did. And our conclusions are solid and, importantly, stick 100% to the science.
2020-05-06 20:23 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.15

Exactly! SLACK_000230
2020-05-06 20:23 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.16

And I'm pretty glad we did - because at least we then have some _actual_ ammo to fight these plonkers. I really don't understand what the journalist is trying to do - it's so dumb I wouldn't even respond.
2020-05-06 20:23 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.16

I'm not responding. The University are going to issue a statement.
2020-05-06 20:23 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.16

Even better. They have nothing.
2020-05-06 20:23 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.16

.. the kind of shit we have to deal with though... Geez. :face_with_rolling_eyes:
2020-05-06 20:23 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.16

I know...for trying to do the right thing. Fuck me.
2020-05-06 20:23 Andrew Rambaut open PDF p.16

And you have a married blond woman in your house during lockdown.
2020-05-06 20:23 Robert F. Garry open PDF p.16

"There is a lot of shit about." We've all seen it, but this is unwelcome and taking it to another level. Sorry Eddie -don't need this. If you are committed to good science and do it you'll piss off a vocal minority. COVID-19 has stirredup a lot of turds (Hooper, Mikovits, Fair) that are floating to the topof the cesspool. "it's so dumb I wouldn't even respond" yes getting your University to respond is a good start. -- an ex-"student" of mine who if very good at media manipulation, once had the WashPost ready to write adefamatory "expose" on our Ebola sequencing paper in Science (if it had existed at the time - think high Altmetric). Harvard's approach was a well-consider point bypoint rebuttal - I admittedly was more "colourful." WasPost never ran the story. Lesson learned - need to do both.
2020-05-06 20:23 Andrew Rambaut open PDF p.16

Bob is right though. You can basically get your University to just write those facts back at them they are all true and they are all irrelevant. The point is that there is already transparency on grants.
2020-05-06 20:23 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.16

There's been a lot of pushback against the Daily Telegraph and their story is on 'hold'. The Australian Academy ofScience are furious and the Prime Minister's office are now involved. A pathetic version of the story was published inthe Melbourne version of the paper this morning. I am tagged on that the end and I suspect they are trying to imply that I work with Dr. Shi and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (which I don't). Total nothing story. [shared file(s): 1272319357.pdf]
2020-05-06 20:23 Kristian G. Andersen open PDF p.16

Total nothingburger on your part - and a great statement from your university. What's that about the database though? I have not heard of that previously.
2020-05-06 20:23 Edward C. Holmes open PDF p.16

I've no idea. The Telegraph claim that the WIV deleted files etc. No idea how they got this info. The story is here(scroll down a bit) but it's paywalled I'm not paying a cent to this Murdoch-based bunch of shits:https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/