Last month a federal advisory board for the first time recommended that scientific journals remove detailed information from two research articles before publication because the information posed a potential threat to national security. The journals, Science and Nature, are preparing redacted versions of the scientific papers, which report the discovery of a form of H5N1 virus—commonly known as bird flu—that can be transmitted through the air.
Is this a move toward government censorship of scientific inquiry, or a necessary measure to safeguard the nation? Two experts offer their views.
