U.S. clueless on bioterror

The U.S. government's attempt to stymie would-be bioterrorists—by controlling access to scientific information and a few dangerous bacteria—misses the bigger picture and probably will not work, concludes a new study from the National Academies of Science.

Read more about this in this New Scientist article. The study's proposed remedy?

The best defence, according to the report, is for the US to encourage a free flow of information among international scientists while also setting up international agreements that prohibit work intended specifically for biological weapons. In the shorter term, the US should set up a special committee to monitor scientific developments and report to intelligence agencies, the report says.