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A lab leak may have started the corona pandemic

The corona pandemic has been the biggest global crisis of our time. It has cost millions of lives, trillions of dollars and inflicted countless other negative consequences on society. The origins of the pandemic remain an unanswered question. In this document, we review the available knowledge. Based on this, we assess it as of June 2024, as most likely that the pandemic was the result of an accident at a research laboratory in Wuhan, not from natural contagion from animals at the wet market close by. We also point out how both the political and scientific system have failed in dealing with the issue and thus stood in the way of designing a knowledge-based preparedness and prevention policy for future pandemics.

Weapons, Plague and Gold - Opportunities and Threats of New Biotechnology

The twin revolutions in biotechnology and artificial intelligence will, in the future, dramatically increase the ability of humans to decode and program genetic code. This gives us the ability to design completely new biological functions and organisms - called synthetic biology. Synthetic biology will, over the next few decades, create trillion-class values and help us solve challenges in climate, animal welfare, food supply, medicine, vaccines, biomaterials and many other areas. At the same time, synthetic biology can have disastrous consequences either as a result of mishaps or intentional damage. In order to harness the enormous benefits that biorevolution can bring us, while avoiding the greatest dangers, we need to develop precise and ambitious policies. Download the memo to read more about this topic. If you would like to read the memo that specifically deals with the origin of the corona pandemic, you can find it here: www.langsikt.no/en/publikasjoner/lablekkasje.

Constitution needs to be changed

May 17th may not be the day to criticize either the nation or constitution. But it has to be done.

Norwegian aid is like an emergency room where friends are treated first

And the Minister of Health decides what treatment should be given.

Don't stick your head in the sand

Jacob Wulff Wold and Aksel Braanen Sterri respond to criticism from Kjetil Rommetveit and Ragnar Fjelland.

We don't know if private health threatens the welfare state -- lacking data

We don't know how many people buy healthcare privately, who they are, and why they do it. Absence of data is a democratic problem.

Recommendations for the UN report on autonomous weapons

Langsikt thanks for the opportunity to contribute to Norway's preparations for the UN Secretary-General's report on autonomous weapons systems. (NB: The PDF is in Norwegian)

Norwegian foundations are stingy

Billions of dollars are dusting down, rather than solving society's challenges. Foundations should provide more and faster.

AGI is not futurism

The fact that the problems belong to the future does not mean that we should postpone the discussion of artificial general intelligence until we are in the middle of them.