Charles Piller

And that's something that the journalism part of Science Magazine does, and I think does quite well. But also the scholarly part of the journal does some good questioning as well. There are viewpoint pieces and opinion pieces that push people to think more deeply about certain subjects and also are willing to challenge authority when it seems beneficial.

And that's something that the journalism part of Science Magazine does, and I think does quite well. But also the scholarly part of the journal does some good questioning as well. There are viewpoint pieces and opinion pieces that push people to think more deeply about certain subjects and also are willing to challenge authority when it seems beneficial.

Yeah, well, science comes out weekly. My articles are... not by any stretch of the imagination in every issue, because what I do usually takes months for every article to do the deep research and reporting and often data analysis that might be required to mount a really credible case. And whether you're talking about Alzheimer's research, or I did a story a few years back on nutrition research,

Yeah, well, science comes out weekly. My articles are... not by any stretch of the imagination in every issue, because what I do usually takes months for every article to do the deep research and reporting and often data analysis that might be required to mount a really credible case. And whether you're talking about Alzheimer's research, or I did a story a few years back on nutrition research,

And whether you're talking about the kinds of deep questions that people have or just wanting to understand the subject well enough to write about it in an authoritative way takes time. I'm a very fortunate journalist. Most journalists are on tight deadlines and do not have the luxury of having that time. But it's time that's required for certain kinds of stories.

And whether you're talking about the kinds of deep questions that people have or just wanting to understand the subject well enough to write about it in an authoritative way takes time. I'm a very fortunate journalist. Most journalists are on tight deadlines and do not have the luxury of having that time. But it's time that's required for certain kinds of stories.

And like I say, I'm fortunate, but also it's a way in which The editors of the magazine, they understand if they want to contribute in this way, they have to be willing to allow me to take the time to do it. And so I'm very grateful to them for that and for their leadership in that respect.

And like I say, I'm fortunate, but also it's a way in which The editors of the magazine, they understand if they want to contribute in this way, they have to be willing to allow me to take the time to do it. And so I'm very grateful to them for that and for their leadership in that respect.

That's right, yeah.

That's right, yeah.

Well, so that was something I, many years ago, worked for a small newspaper that was published by the University of California, and I became interested in biological sciences. And I became interested also in this phenomenon of how genetic engineering was used in our culture and in the scientific community. Because I think it's an important, amazing, powerful tool

Well, so that was something I, many years ago, worked for a small newspaper that was published by the University of California, and I became interested in biological sciences. And I became interested also in this phenomenon of how genetic engineering was used in our culture and in the scientific community. Because I think it's an important, amazing, powerful tool

and one that, like any tool, can be used for good or ill in society. And one of the really interesting things to me was this big question that goes with the question of how you use genetic engineering in warfare. Because at the time I was writing this book, a long time ago, there was a considerable amount of concern about it. There still is.

and one that, like any tool, can be used for good or ill in society. And one of the really interesting things to me was this big question that goes with the question of how you use genetic engineering in warfare. Because at the time I was writing this book, a long time ago, there was a considerable amount of concern about it. There still is.

But that was kind of in at the ground floor level, you might say, when those concerns were just building on the possibility of biological warfare being affected by genetic manipulation in a way that might produce perhaps more harmful weapons.

But that was kind of in at the ground floor level, you might say, when those concerns were just building on the possibility of biological warfare being affected by genetic manipulation in a way that might produce perhaps more harmful weapons.

At the time, the United States had what they called a biological defense program, which was a robust, large program to examine whether they could develop remedies for problems for imagined biological weapons that had been the product of genetic engineering by the country's adversaries.

At the time, the United States had what they called a biological defense program, which was a robust, large program to examine whether they could develop remedies for problems for imagined biological weapons that had been the product of genetic engineering by the country's adversaries.

And of course, this is a very challenging realm of research, very dangerous realm of research because of the hazards associated with the possible biological weapons organisms. And so what was really interesting to me was this nuance in the picture. In other words, the difference between offensive research and defensive research in biological weapons studies is really one of intent.

And of course, this is a very challenging realm of research, very dangerous realm of research because of the hazards associated with the possible biological weapons organisms. And so what was really interesting to me was this nuance in the picture. In other words, the difference between offensive research and defensive research in biological weapons studies is really one of intent.