EDITOR'S NOTE: Find links to current science-based information about anthrax, bioterrorism and other security topics in the text below. Statement from Bruce Alberts, President, National Academy of Sciences, Wm. A. Wulf, President, National Academy of Engineering, and Kenneth I. Shine, President, Institute of Medicine Oct. 29, 2001 News reports are emerging -- seemingly on an hourly basis -- about new developments that may be linked to bioterrorism. No matter what the source of these attacks, we believe Americans can best protect themselves by being armed with the best available information from scientifically credible sources. Our nation already has a wealth of information and many experts to help answer questions about every conceivable threat. Americans can ill afford to rely on hearsay or information coming from those outside the scientific and medical communities who may mean well but lack solid data supported by evidence. We call on journalists, our political leaders, and all citizens to seek the best available information from the most reliable sources as we learn more about the magnitude of the current bioterrorism threat. As we ourselves monitor daily developments, we continue to be alarmed by the amount of inaccurate information being circulated about anthrax, sending scores of confused citizens to take action that may, in fact, be counterproductive. A multitude of Web sites and self-appointed experts have emerged in the past weeks, hawking everything from gas masks to colloidal silver. The fact is many of these remedies may well do more harm than good or have serious side effects. We urge everyone to take advantage of the useful bulletins being provided by a number of trustworthy sources. The Web sites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Library of Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins Center for Civilian Biodefense Studies, for example, carry information of excellent quality. Finally, the National Academies have been studying issues of counterterrorism for many years. While mainly for policy-makers, a collection of these reports is available free on our Web site for interested readers. Our nation has tremendous scientific and technical resources that can be marshaled to help us deal with terrorist actions. The National Academies stand ready to contribute in every way possible. Never before has the adage "Information is power" rung so true. Armed with the facts, Americans can make enormous progress in combating terrorism. # # #