Jeffrey Sachs: Lessons from the COVID Commission, Lab Leak Questions, and Nord Stream — #21

Jeffrey D. Sachs is a world-renowned economics professor, bestselling author, innovative educator, and global leader in sustainable development. Professor Sachs serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and is a University Professor, Columbia’s highest academic rank. Steve and Jeffrey discuss: 0:00 Jeffrey Sachs’ experience on the Lancet Commission for COVID-19 13:41 Potential for bioweapons research 19:06 Why a lab leak is plausible 32:38 Possible defenses for COVID coverup 43:56 Government secrecy and other areas of concern 48:08 Reflections on Nord Stream sabotage Brief Summary: Sachs led a 2 year study of Covid organized for the Lancet. One of the task forces was focused on covid origins. Sachs feels that members of this task force were engaged in a deliberate cover up which tried to push the natural origin hypothesis from the beginning. His conclusion is that a lab origin hypothesis is still viable, and indeed more likely than the natural origin hypothesis. The US is treaty bound to only do “defensive“ bioweapons research and development, but this includes the creation and study of dangerous viral strains -- e.g., so that vaccine efficacy and related technologies can be studied. The US spends ~$10 billion per annum on biodefense research, much of it funneled through NIAID (NIH institute for infectious diseases). Many of the researchers involved in “gain of function“ genetic engineering are funded via NIAID and have been for decades. Sachs claims that the genetic engineering research to add a human-specific cleavage site to a coronavirus was actually performed, although the specific 2017 research plan uncovered in 2021 investigation was not funded. Resources: The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic, Sachs et al., Sept. 14 2022: (22)01585-9/fulltext Why the Chair of the Lancet’s COVID-19 Commission Thinks The US Government Is Preventing a Real Investigation Into the Pandemic, Current Affairs, Aug 3 2022: Music used with permission from Blade Runner Blues Livestream improvisation by State Azure. – Steve Hsu is Professor of Theoretical Physics and of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at Michigan State University. Previously, he was Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at MSU and Director of the Institute of Theoretical Science at the University of Oregon. Hsu is a startup founder (SafeWeb, Genomic Prediction, Othram) and advisor to venture capital and other investment firms. He was educated at Caltech and Berkeley, was a Harvard Junior Fellow, and has held faculty positions at Yale, the University of Oregon, and MSU. Please send any questions or suggestions to manifold1podcast@ or Steve on Twitter