[edit: reply to AW]
i didn't say that, of course it's a huge embarrassment, I detest PC-ism and groupthink in all their forms. But it reminds me of that Bradbury story "Toynbee convector(?)", where the guy pretends he invented a time machine just to convince humanity to head in the right direction. We really need a kick in the pants to do something about global pollution...not that this is the way to do it, but I'm not going to beat my breast about it. The main reason not to squelch alternative research, apart from the ethical one of course, is that it can end up backfiring as it did in this case...I also wonder how widespread this actually was, or if it is much ado about nothing. People in my industry talk shit about each other all the time in private, I'm curious how much of the bluster actually translated into really blocking valid research.