
PolicyMarch 1, 2022
The Lab-Leak Hypothesis Made It Harder for Scientists to Seek the Truth
Virus origin stories have always been prone to conspiracy theories. COVID disinformation has threatened research—and lives
Peter Jacobs is a climate scientist and a strategic science adviser in the Office of Communications at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The views expressed are his own and do not necessarily represent those of NASA or the United States.

The Lab-Leak Hypothesis Made It Harder for Scientists to Seek the Truth
Virus origin stories have always been prone to conspiracy theories. COVID disinformation has threatened research—and lives