34: Could AI create a Bio-Weapon? | Russian Plague Theory

A broken test tube, a dead lab worker, a Russian anti-plague institute, and a flood of alarming posts online. It sounds like the opening scene of a thriller.

Yet there really was a young scientist who died after working at a facility that studied dangerous pathogens, there really was a quarantine response, and there really were questions about what authorities knew and when they knew it.This week on Conspiracy Cabal, Rich and Nick examine a story that exploded across social media after a laboratory worker in Siberia died following a sudden illness. Was it a tragic accident, an outbreak of plague, a cover-up by Russian authorities, or evidence of something even more sinister? Along the way they explore bioweapons research, gain-of-function science, pandemic-era fears, and why mysterious stories spread far faster than verified facts.

The plague problem: A lab worker dies after contracting a severe illness, sparking speculation about plague, pneumonic infections and biocontainment failures. The guys unpack what Yersinia pestis actually is, why plague still exists today, and why most people are surprised to learn it never disappeared.

The Russia problem: Quarantines, hazmat crews, official walk-backs and disappearing details. The Cabal examines how the response from Russian authorities fuelled suspicion, and whether the real story became the management of information rather than the disease itself.

The bioweapon problem: Gain-of-function research, Cold War biological weapons programs, Soviet defectors and modern genetic engineering. The discussion explores the uncomfortable reality that governments have investigated biological warfare, and the fine line between defensive research and offensive capability.

The expert problem: Pandemic celebrities, social media doctors, doom merchants and bestselling authors. From public health debates during COVID to the resurgence of bioweapon fears, the guys ask whether some commentators are rewarded for promoting worst-case scenarios.

The AI problem: Could artificial intelligence make it easier for bad actors to create dangerous pathogens?

The conversation turns to CRISPR, synthetic biology, ChatGPT-era fears and why some researchers believe AI could dramatically accelerate biological research for both good and ill.Some of this is microbiology: zoonotic reservoirs, biosafety levels and how outbreaks are investigated.

Some of it is about information itself. What happens when authorities release too little information, conspiracy theorists release too much, and social media fills the gap in between?

The possibility that advanced biotechnology could be misused in the future?

That's the question that keeps the Cabal paying attention.

Contact the show at [email protected] Conspiracy Cabal doesn’t promote conspiracy theories — we examine them.

We search for the kernel of truth in every story, exploring how conspiracies start, why they persist, and what drives people to believe them.

Contact the show at [email protected]

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