Covid-19 does not appear to be a genetically engineered plague unleashed on the world by supervillains-but its massive global impact shows how effective such a weapon could be.
Less than three months after the first known Covid-19 death in the U.S., more Americans have died of this disease than fell in battle during the Vietnam War.
It has disrupted more lives, thrown more people out of work, and at least temporarily closed more businesses than the Great Depression.
Much of the world has been shut down; global trade has been upended in ways not seen since World War II, and the spreading economic and geopolitical fallout from the pandemic is already on course to dwarf the consequences of the 2008-09 financial crisis.
The 21st century looks now to be an Age of Biology, when the capacity to unleash gene-engineered plagues on one's opponents-or their crops-can provide countries with a strategic advantage.
The virus could be released, causing chaos and destruction, but one could protect one's own people from the plague-and offer the vaccine to the world if one's demands were met.
Over time, the danger will grow as humanity develops better and more efficient ways to hack the genetic code and create organisms on demand.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-century-of-bioweapons-11588025901?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
Less than three months after the first known Covid-19 death in the U.S., more Americans have died of this disease than fell in battle during the Vietnam War.
It has disrupted more lives, thrown more people out of work, and at least temporarily closed more businesses than the Great Depression.
Much of the world has been shut down; global trade has been upended in ways not seen since World War II, and the spreading economic and geopolitical fallout from the pandemic is already on course to dwarf the consequences of the 2008-09 financial crisis.
The 21st century looks now to be an Age of Biology, when the capacity to unleash gene-engineered plagues on one's opponents-or their crops-can provide countries with a strategic advantage.
The virus could be released, causing chaos and destruction, but one could protect one's own people from the plague-and offer the vaccine to the world if one's demands were met.
Over time, the danger will grow as humanity develops better and more efficient ways to hack the genetic code and create organisms on demand.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-century-of-bioweapons-11588025901?mod=hp_opin_pos_2
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