---
type: Conversation
title: Private channel session 9
description: "slack conversation, 19 messages, 2020-05-01."
tags:
  - conversation
  - slack
medium: slack
message_count: 19
started_at: "2020-05-01T13:08:11"
ended_at: "2020-05-01T14:23:37"
duration_seconds: 4526
sources:
  - { id: slack_pm, resource: /sources/slack-pm.md, title: Slack / Private Message Drop, author: "process:senate-hsgac-release" }
generated: { by: randpaul-corpus-pipeline/1.0, at: "2026-08-01T12:42:27Z" }
status: stable
---

A slack conversation of 19 messages spanning 1h 15m.

# Metadata

- **Started:** 2020-05-01T13:08:11
- **Ended:** 2020-05-01T14:23:37
- **Duration:** 1h 15m
- **Participants:** 4
- **Source:** [slack_pm](/sources/slack-pm.md)
- **Pages:** 4-5

# Participants

* [Andrew Rambaut](/people/andrew-rambaut.md)
* [Edward C. Holmes](/people/edward-c-holmes.md)
* [Kristian G. Andersen](/people/kristian-g-andersen.md)
* [Robert F. Garry](/people/robert-f-garry.md)

# Transcript

**[2020-05-01T13:08:11] Kristian G. Andersen:** Does anybody have access? https://www.google.com/url?rct=j&sa=t&url=https://www.washingtonpost.co m/politics/2020/05/01/was-new-coronavirus-accidentally-released-wuhan-lab-its-doubtful/&ct=ga&cd=CA EYACoTMzI1ODA3ODQwNTYyMjEyNzQxOTIaYzJjMjMyMDI0NjFjMjMyODpjb206ZW46VVM&usg=AFQjCNH zDagpeqeWk3d4vP-rR127unjoYQ

**[2020-05-01T13:13:24] Andrew Rambaut:** shared file(s): Was_the_new_coronavirus_accidentally_released_from_a_Wuhan_lab__It___s_doubtful_

**[2020-05-01T13:19:29] Andrew Rambaut:** https://www.cell.com/pb-assets/products/coronavirus/immuni4362.pdf

**[2020-05-01T13:45:22] Robert F. Garry:** Maybe I'm a bit harsh but reads kinda like a high school "book report." Maybe a C+ grade.

**[2020-05-01T14:03:32] Kristian G. Andersen:** What is this? A paper or some sort of commentary?

**[2020-05-01T14:05:30] Andrew Rambaut:** It is weird. It is kind of saying 'we knew all this and could have said it but couldn't be bothered'.

**[2020-05-01T14:06:29] Kristian G. Andersen:** That would be something Ralph would do

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Robert F. Garry:** SLACK_000219 AS for the Wash Post - Good job Eddie and Kristian - watched the video - will likely keep the lab escape hypothesisalive for longer - 50K

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Kristian G. Andersen:** There's a video?

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Robert F. Garry:** https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/01/was-new-coronavirus-accidentally-released-wuhan-lab-its-dou btful/

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Robert F. Garry:** Yes

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Robert F. Garry:** Rasmussan, Daszak several others I don't recognize.

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Edward C. Holmes:** I've never emailed the Washington Post. That must come from an email that I sent to my press officer who then forwarded to them. I need to correct the I story. Nonsense.

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Kristian G. Andersen:** I don't remember talking to these journalists either...

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Kristian G. Andersen:** The video is pretty fucking terrible. Ending on "how unusual/remarkable is it that there's a lab working on bat coronaviruses exactly where an outbreak of a coronavirus started"? How dumb are people exactly? Good old correlation, not causation. May I suggest an alternative explanation - they're studying bat coronaviruses BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF BAT CORONAVIRUSES AROUND THERE. Which, I don't know, in combination with wet markets and the like might increase the risk of an outbreak from a bat coronaviruses.We need an actual razor in Occam's razor.

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Edward C. Holmes:** Yes, it's shite. That Baric paper is also really weird. Reads to me that are pissed off that they were not involved inour paper and so want to get in on the act.

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Kristian G. Andersen:** Now I need to ready Ralph's paper too...

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Edward C. Holmes:** What proportion of your day is spent dealing with bollocks? Scientific bollocks I should add.

**[2020-05-01T14:23:37] Kristian G. Andersen:** Time spent on bollocks = 80%, of which scientific bollocks = 40%, bollock bollocks = 20%, and bollocks scientists =20%