Dastan Eleukenov: Because scientists, the ones who... especially those whose research is government supported, they are... they're called people who seek to satisfy their own curiosity at state expense. They are a special kind... people of a special bent, who... who want to know, to reach the top of their profession and discover something previously unknown. There are tons of interesting research... problems that are interesting from the standpoint of science. Such as genetic engineering, how to obtain certain selective qualities in biological agents, let's say. Yes, from the humanistic standpoint, it's totally unbelievable that a scientist is at work somewhere, bent over a microscope by night, trying to make a more humane weapon that will only, let's say, kill middle-aged men and leave women, children and the elderly untouched. But at the same time, projects like that always have unforeseen side applications... not military in nature.
Slava Paperno: Could you see yourself doing something like that?
Eleukenov: Myself... if we were back in Soviet times, during the Cold War, when we knew very little about each other and what little we did know was generally negative, and if an order came down, I think that probably I would not have asked too many questions.