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Scientist loses HIV data in Durban mugging
Washington Times ^ | Wednesday, August 6, 2003

Posted on 08/05/2003 10:18:26 PM PDT by JohnHuang2

Edited on 07/12/2004 4:05:54 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

DURBAN, South Africa (Agence France-Presse) — A Washington-area scientist says he lost priceless work on an AIDS vaccine when he was mugged at knife point while attending an AIDS conference in South Africa.

James Mullins, a professor of microbiology at George Washington University, said Monday that seven men attacked him Sunday afternoon outside his hotel in Durban, taking his laptop, which contained years of research that could have led to an AIDS vaccine.


(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aids; bigcogwheelturns; georgewashingtonu; gwu; scientistmugging; scientistsdeaths; theft
Wednesday, August 6, 2003

Quote of the Day by Paleo Conservative

1 posted on 08/05/2003 10:18:26 PM PDT by JohnHuang2
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To: JohnHuang2; Physicist; Piltdown_Woman; longshadow
And such vital data is stored in only one place?????

Appalling!

2 posted on 08/05/2003 10:20:43 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: RadioAstronomer
I keep vital data not only on multiple storage devices, but in separate buildings should a fire happen.
3 posted on 08/05/2003 10:24:21 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: JohnHuang2
The stupidity of keeping all such research on something as fragile as a laptop aside, this is sadly the story of Africa -- the people are often their own worst enemies.
4 posted on 08/05/2003 10:26:11 PM PDT by Question_Assumptions
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To: RadioAstronomer
Backups are a good thing. Dr. Mullins is obviously a doofus.
5 posted on 08/05/2003 10:28:50 PM PDT by AF68
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To: JohnHuang2
An awful odor is issuing forth from this story. You guys smell that?
6 posted on 08/05/2003 10:33:54 PM PDT by thegreatbeast (Quid lucrum istic mihi est?)
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To: AF68
Good thing he didn't waste his time actually developing the vacinne. He would have probably just lost the only prototype.
7 posted on 08/05/2003 10:34:25 PM PDT by HaveGunWillTravel
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To: thegreatbeast
An awful odor is issuing forth from this story. You guys smell that?

Is this story for real????

8 posted on 08/05/2003 10:39:03 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: AF68
Backups are a good thing. Dr. Mullins is obviously a doofus.

At the very least, not thinking.

9 posted on 08/05/2003 10:41:49 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: thegreatbeast
Well, it is a better excuse than saying the dog ate his research.
10 posted on 08/05/2003 10:50:41 PM PDT by AF68
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To: JohnHuang2
A $1000 reward? It's quite possible he was mugged, given what I have read, but if this laptop holds the key to stop AIDS, it's worth a bit more than 1K.
11 posted on 08/05/2003 10:52:27 PM PDT by LPStar
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To: thegreatbeast; JohnHuang2
<< An awful odor is issuing forth from this story. You guys smell that? >>

Think his grant might be coming up for revision?
12 posted on 08/05/2003 11:32:15 PM PDT by Brian Allen ( Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: AF68; thegreatbeast; JohnHuang2
<< Well, it is a better excuse than saying the dog ate his research. >>

But better only by twenty years or so.
13 posted on 08/05/2003 11:33:47 PM PDT by Brian Allen ( Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God - Thomas Jefferson)
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To: JohnHuang2
Strange that this news story would be republished by the Washington Times (courtesy of Agence France-Presse) and no one in DC stopped to consider if there really exists a Professor James Mullins at GWU.

In fact, James Mullins is a microbiologist at the University of Washington, not George Washington University.

14 posted on 08/05/2003 11:43:07 PM PDT by willieroe
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To: AF68
Well, it is a better excuse than saying the dog ate his research.

I had the same thought. As long as he was at it, he should have mentioned his foolproof plan for peace in the Middle East and his map to King Solomon's mines.

It's the guy who had his disposable camera stolen and tells the insurance company it was a Leica.

15 posted on 08/05/2003 11:49:10 PM PDT by Dataman
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To: Dataman; Physicist; longshadow; Piltdown_Woman; JohnHuang2
This story is sounding more and more bogus
16 posted on 08/05/2003 11:56:29 PM PDT by RadioAstronomer
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To: JohnHuang2
He is an idiot. Anyone visiting the Western Cape, Cape Town, Durban, all that, know that crime is very high, especially at night. I do not know where he was Sunday afternoon, but actually if seven men mobbed on a street here in the US I wouldn't stand a chance.

Wonder if Mbeki is going to get to the bottom of this one? I doubt it. South Africa needs all the business, tourism,etc. that it can stand. Conferences draw a lot of money and it would do well for the ANC to address crime rather than worrying about renaming Pretoria, ja? but ja nee, Mbeki doesn't care except about himself.
17 posted on 08/06/2003 12:37:07 AM PDT by cyborg (i'm half and half... me mum is a muggle and me dad is a witch)
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To: AF68
Well, it is a better excuse than saying the dog ate his research.

I imagine this statement pretty much sums up the entire scenario.

LOL!

18 posted on 08/06/2003 4:06:47 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Democrats.. Socialists..Commies..Traitors...Who can tell the difference?)
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