The Science Behind the Anthrax Investigation

A Trained Eye Finally Solved the Anthrax Puzzle

The New York Times has a nice article on the scientific end of the anthrax investigation. After missing them using standard methods, scientists found that the spores used in the attacks contained several low-frequency mutants that were matched to Ivins' flask. Since Ivins was only one of a number of people with access to the flask, the science ends there. More interesting to me was that the FBI divided up the work to keep the assisting labs in the dark, just in case the culprit was working on the investigation.

As an aside, I've seen others complain about this before, but I will bring it up anyway. When journalists write about the sequencing of a genome, why are they so fond of using the word "decode"? According to my count, the second page of the story uses a form of the word seven times. Why can't they use the word that scientists use: sequence? The scientists were not decoding anything; they were determining the sequence that makes up the code. It's like saying that a doctor diagnosed a patient, when he really only took a history, performed a physical exam, and ordered lab tests.

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