Thread by @K_G_Andersen

There has been an immense amount of misinformation, disinformation, and conspiracy theories around our "Proximal Origin" paper.

Let's dive into the full evolution of a scientific idea from early hypothesis to later published conclusion. 🧵👇

Paper: nature.com/articles/s4159…

⏰ Jan 31 - Email.

1⃣ "potentially engineered"
2⃣ "inconsistent with expectations"
3⃣ "we have to look at this much more closely and there are still further analyses to be done, so those opinions could still change"

☎️ Feb 1 - Conference call.

Discussion among several leading experts based on the early hypothesis that SARS-CoV-2 could have been engineered or otherwise lab-associated.

😴 Feb 2 - Early notes after call.

1⃣ Bioweapon: "Highly unlikely"
2⃣ Specific engineering: "Unlikely"
3⃣ Tissue culture passage: "The data is consistent"
4⃣ Spillover from animal host: "The data is consistent"

🤔 Feb 4 - First summary.

1⃣ Deliberate engineering: "Ruled out"
2⃣ Adaptation to humans
3⃣Selection in an animal host
4⃣Selection during passage

"current data are consistent with all three"

📰 Feb 17 - First submission/preprint

1⃣ Selection in an animal host
2⃣ Cryptic adaptation to humans
3⃣ Selection during passage

"not a laboratory construct nor a purposefully manipulated virus"

"it is currently impossible to prove or disprove the other theories of its origin"

⭐️ Mar 17 - Paper

1⃣ Selection before zoonosis
2⃣ Selection after zoonosis
3⃣ Selection during passage

"not a laboratory construct nor a purposefully manipulated virus"

"currently impossible to prove or disprove"

"we do not believe that [.] laboratory-based [.] plausible"

The evolution on our thinking is VERY clear and people claiming that there is no logical in which scientists could change their mind "within hours/days/2 days/3 days/ 4 days" or whatever arbitrary timeline they give you, are willfully misleading you.

It stops here.

Don't let people fill you with this type of bullshit - it's the clear anatomy of a totally nonsense conspiracy theory.

For more background, read our paper ☝️ and my full written testimony 👇.

https://t.co/2YZn9jqIipandersen-lab.com/files/2023.07.…