having dined in usa, uk, aus and nz, i have to say thats not my experience at all. in no-tip countries you get good service because they want repeat business. those that don't provide it don't survive long.

That link you posted explains that it took 5 years to find the 'host' species of ratg13, not the intermediate. I think by intermediate they are referring to the species that carried the virus between the host reservoir (bats) and humans. The intermediate of sars 1 was found within weeks. So 2.5 years later with no intermediate found for sars 2 can reasonably be seen as abnormal. Especially given the amount of testing China has done on local animals.

If ebooks were the only option, and an ebook company goes under, it may not be only you that loses access to that book. And not only everyone else who bought the ebook either. If the Ip rights are not taken up by a new company, then everyone in the future loses access to that book too. Well, for 100 years or so anyway. Kinda sad how much art and knowledge gets lost already. At least a physical book will still be around after the rights holder disappears.

Expert specialist knowledge. Of course you don't get that at big box retailers and mega malls. But some countries still have owner occupied stores that are a pleasure to visit and shop at. And those provide happy fulfilling incomes for many. As opposed to, say, amazon who is busy trying to put them all out of business

But but but... censorship is good for you comrade. Too many damn people having their own thoughts otherwise. Who would want that?

Not a great example, but I wonder how well an AI would compare to humans if given a problem such as ... What is 1+1... a) 3 b) 5 c) 6 d) 7 Given that none of the answers are correct, a human might opt for the "most likely" wrong answer using deduction. Ie: option (a) that is at least a known phrase so has a marginally better chance of being what the puzzle maker had in mind, even if incorrect.

+1 insightful

Well said

You're an idiot. Many virologists who know more than both of us think a lableak is just as likely as zoonotic transfer. Both have happened many times. Given the chinese cover up we may never know for sure. https://www.science.org/conten...

Also lab leaks are not as rare as you make out. Ie: Russian Flu outbreak 1977, Smallpox UK 1978, SARS lab leaks in Singapore 2003, Taiwan 2003, and China 2004, also Foot & Mouth in UK 2007, Nocardia testacea in Australia 2014, Brucellosis in China 2019. Even in the U.S., laboratories reported more than 450 accidents during 2015 through 2019 while experimenting with some of the world’s most dangerous pathogens. More here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Incorrect. The bats that carry coronaviruses able to infect humans are not found near Wuhan, or even in Hubei province. The head of the Wuhan institute said as much herself, stating that Wuhan would be about the last place she'd expect a coronavirus outbreak to occur. The WIV scientists travel 800 miles south to Yunnan to gather those bats. The reason why the bsl-4 WIV lab is located in Wuhan is not because its close to the bats, but because the lab was co-developed with France, who have historical links with that city.

The vast majority do not favor a change of name. 70,000 is just 1% of the country.

Like calling someone a fuckwit, you mean?

100%. I also miss the days when we all were simply 'kiwis' irrespective of ancestry. The new race based policies seem like a giant step backwards.

If you read the original papers, one outlines evidence that the seafood market was a superspreader event. But the researchers specifically state that the upstream source is unknown. Ie... they make no claim to know *how* it got there to begin with. It certainly doesn't prove an animal origin either. Although thats suggested and might be the best explanation. It's based on environmental swabs that align with locations in the market said to house animals a few years ago. That's the entirety of the theory. And it makes sense. But no animals tested were found to have covid. None. Despite the fact the reservoir was apparently large enough to cause not one but two separate transmission events of different lineages? (Per the 2nd paper). And all without causing any other outbreaks at the source... only in Wuhan? Not saying they're wrong. Just saying it doesn't seem to me as settled as some media are making out. Also, if the animal theory is correct, it would necessarily mean that the lableak theory is just a coinicidence. Ie a virology lab 10 mins up the road was working on gain of function research on bat coronaviruses. If that's just a coincidence then it seems to me quite a colossal one! Especially when taking in to account the subsequent secrecy,hushing up of doctors, stalling the investigation for a year etc. In my experience people with nothing to hide don't act evasively.