Bat Or Human?
THE WEEK|June 13, 2021
Indian scientists see substance in lab leak theory
Rekha Dixit
Bat Or Human?

A spillover from nature or a lab-engineered chimaeric escapee? It is Season 2 of the whodunit, as the focus shifts back to the origin of the Sars-CoV-2 virus, the villain of the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Joe Biden, outdoing predecessor Trump, has given his secret service a 90-day deadline to redouble efforts and come closer to a definitive conclusion of the origin of the virus''. What are the chances that spies will uncover that clinching evidence? And how many skeletons that tumble out may have to be discreetly taken away? As the US takes on China in a battle for economic might, its own role in funding research in Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) will be up for inspection, again.

A year and a half after the illness was first reported from Wuhan, opinion on its origin remains, at best, an educated guess, with only circumstantial evidence in support either way. The same set of data is regarded by different scientists to arrive at polar opposite conclusions. For instance, as they examine the shape and position of spike proteins in the virus, some see clear signs of a cleavage that is a tell-tale mark of cut-paste work in the lab. The same proteins to other eyes, however, seem naturally positioned. Genetic manipulation is sophisticated today, and the end result could look seamless and natural.

A fresh revelation is a US intelligence report that three workers from WIV needed hospitalization in November 2019, shortly before the world heard of the infection. There is no information on how close these workers were to viruses or the exact nature of their ailment. China has denied the report.

Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin June 13, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin June 13, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE WEEK DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
William Dalrymple goes further back
THE WEEK India

William Dalrymple goes further back

Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.

time-read
3 dak  |
November 17, 2024
The bleat from the street
THE WEEK India

The bleat from the street

What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 17, 2024
Courage and conviction
THE WEEK India

Courage and conviction

Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case

time-read
2 dak  |
November 17, 2024
EPIC ENTERPRISE
THE WEEK India

EPIC ENTERPRISE

Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus

time-read
4 dak  |
November 17, 2024
Upgrade your jeans
THE WEEK India

Upgrade your jeans

If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 17, 2024
Garden by the sea
THE WEEK India

Garden by the sea

When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus

time-read
4 dak  |
November 17, 2024
RECRUITERS SPEAK
THE WEEK India

RECRUITERS SPEAK

Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

time-read
3 dak  |
November 17, 2024
MORAL COMPASS
THE WEEK India

MORAL COMPASS

The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape

time-read
5 dak  |
November 17, 2024
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
THE WEEK India

B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH

INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode

time-read
3 dak  |
November 17, 2024
COURSE CORRECTION
THE WEEK India

COURSE CORRECTION

India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI

time-read
8 dak  |
November 17, 2024