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33 pages 1 hour read

Richard Preston

The Demon in the Freezer

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2002

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Themes

Ever-Present Danger

Eradicating smallpox in nature and confining official smallpox stocks to only two locations are impressive achievements: however, they are no guarantee that the world is now safe from a smallpox outbreak. The Demon in the Freezer calls attention to the fact that unofficial stores of smallpox may remain in the hands of countries other than the United States and Russia, and to the fact that a sample of smallpox could easily be engineered to create a supremely devastating bioweapon. Nor is smallpox the only stubborn menace of this sort. Preston’s account, after all, begins with a discussion of the 2001 anthrax attacks—an instance in which a deadly substance was spread through the U.S. postal system with little trouble. Perhaps the only factor that can keep such persistent biological threats in check is not regulation or research, but the more compassionate and responsible side of human nature.

Personal versus Professional Life

At several points in his narration, Preston explains how the potentially life-saving work of smallpox and anthrax researchers can clash with the more day-to-day duties that these individuals face. Peter Jahrling must deal with the tasks of raising his daughters and of dealing with his wife’s worries, all while helping the U.S. government confront bioweapons attacks. Lisa Hensley faces a different tension between her personal and private lives, but one that is equally important to the structure of her life as a whole. Although she wants a fulfilling relationship and children of her own, she is dedicated to intense and potentially life-saving work that could (as Jahrling’s example indicates) all too easily draw her away from family commitments.

Lingering Uncertainty

Preston inserts himself into the narrative of The Demon in the Freezer in order to provide commentary, to convey interview testimony, and to call attention to one of the book’s most important themes—uncertainty. In fact, Preston admits that he does not fully know how the smallpox freezers at the CDC are coordinated, or what exactly the “anthrax trick” mentioned by Jahrling is. Some of these omissions or unknowns are well justified, since Preston’s entire topic is linked to sensitive or classified pieces of scientific and governmental knowledge. But even if strategic uncertainty can prevent techniques such as the “anthrax trick” from reaching the wrong people, other forms of uncertainty—the unresolved question of who sent the anthrax letters, the continuing debate over exactly how devastating a smallpox epidemic would be—only heighten the anxieties surrounding Preston’s topic.

The Ethical Aspect of Science

For the researchers depicted in The Demon in the Freezer, the advancement of scientific knowledge often involves ethical trade-offs or complications. Lisa Hensley and the other researchers who converge on the CDC, for instance, are engaged in a project that may give humans a better basis for confronting a potential smallpox outbreak. Yet, to perform their research, these scientists must infect and eventually kill laboratory monkeys—including animals, such as Harper, that have endearing personalities. Science does not exist in a moral or ethical vacuum, as Preston’s book makes clear. In fact, the ethical weight of some kinds of scientific research, such as Ken Alibek’s work on anthrax, drives researchers to change their views, loyalties, and (in the cases of Alibek and others) home countries.

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