If Baltimore's view, that scientists who do not take the words of authorities are far removed from the ordinary behavior of scientists, prevails in the scientific community, then something fundamental, very serious, and very disturbing is happening to the scientific community.

The problems of financing the universities and their intellectual freedom, threatened by political and bureaucratic interference, are problems which are invariant under the ism transformations: socialism, communism, capitalism, or any other ism or ology.

I am not here concerned with intent, but with scientific standards, especially the ability to tell the difference between a fact, an opinion, a hypothesis, and a hole in the ground.

There exist thousands of Americans who have AIDS-defining diseases but are HIV negative.

The only goal of science is the honour of the human spirit, and a question in number theory is worth a question concerning the system of the world.

Questions have also arisen about AIDS being transmitted to hemophiliacs via blood transfusions.

Of course, screening for HIV did essentially eliminate the transmission of this virus by transfusions.