The article by Barry A. Palevitz and Ricki Lewis, "Show Me The Data: A Nobel Lesson In The Process Of Science" (The Scientist, 11[24]:8, Dec. 8, 1997) is excellent. The day before I got my hands on the article, I discussed with my colleagues at Tulane University Medical School how Peter Duesberg's recent visit to our institution left me with an empty feeling about the power democracy bestows upon those who have much to say with little to prove. I listened attentively to Duesberg's seminar and must say that no data were presented to debunk the now well-established relation between HIV and AIDS.

In fairness to the scientific rigor used by so many in trying to understand how HIV contributes to AIDS, Duesberg owes them an apology until he can show data that invalidate those appearing in thousands of published papers. Most of those papers show a...

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