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Soundbites

“It’s a clear attempt by the prime minister to keep Sir David quiet. [He] is the nation’s chief scientist and I’d expect him to say what he thinks.”

British MP Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesman, on a leaked memo to David King after he wrote an article in Science saying climate change is a greater threat than terrorism (The Independent, London, 8 March)

“If people sue doctors, they are going to find that their access to healthcare may be limited. That’s a harsh thing to say but this is a war.”

Texas doctor John Shannon Jones on the DoctorsKnow.Us database, which doctors can use to check if a prospective patient has sued for malpractice (The Wall Street Journal, 5 March)

“The world of research wants change. It is like a tribe that is reacting violently because it has been wounded.”

Nobel prizewinner François Jacob, co-author of a manifesto for reform of French science, launched as scientists demonstrated across France, demanding more funding and the restoration of axed jobs (Le Monde, Paris, 9 March)

“We are doing this to save one child’s life and to give another child the best possible chance in life.”

Dipika Vara of Perth, who is hoping to have a baby through IVF who can provide tissue to treat her daughter’s rare genetic disease (The Daily Telegraph, Sydney, 9 March)

“It was terrible. The bird did not live to enjoy its moment of fame.”

Ornithologist Graham Appleton on an American robin that had made its way to the UK but was caught by a sparrowhawk as birdwatchers gathered to see it (The Times, London, 9 March)