SINCE 11 September, press releases describing research findings have often
borne the hallmarks of hasty rewriting to incorporate the word “terrorism” in
the headline or introduction. Work on epidemiology or toxicology that has been
going on for years is suddenly billed as a response to the World Trade Center
and Pentagon attacks.
A story from the University of Georgia is sadly typical: “As the United
States prepares militarily to fight terrorism,” it begins, “Americans can more
successfully deal with the long-term stress that may become a part of our lives
by making slight adjustments in what we eat . .…
