zlacker

So, another problem with the WHO team investigating this, is that if it came from a lab it not only makes China look bad, it also makes scientists look bad. Regardless of whether it should or not (and I am certainly in favor of researching potential threats), it clearly will. If I'm a Dutch, Canadian, Indian, or any other kind of researcher who looks at viruses (or anything else really) that comes from wild animals, I would have a really big emotional block in the way of any suggestion that this came about because of my profession.

1) it wouldn't feel good

2) it wouldn't do good things for my prospects of getting more funding for my lab

3) it would cause a bunch of new onerous regulations to come down on the way I get to work in my lab

4) it would make me wonder if friends and family and neighbors and etc. now regard my profession as the cause of a disaster

I don't think we can expect bankers to decide that excess financial complexity was the cause of the 2008 Fiscal Crisis, or intelligence agencies to decide that excessive meddling in other countries fueled terrorism. It is expecting quite a lot to think that scientists will decide that scientific research is what caused this problem.