Also wanted to highlight what Cox has to say about "progress" in scientific research:

For the past decade or so, most funds have gone toward seeking genes that cause neurodegenerative diseases. “There’s some good research out there, but as Cox says, scientists have been kicking the same ball for 15 years.” Given that 90 percent of cases haven’t yet been explained by genetics, more scientists have begun assessing environmental triggers.

Too often scientists work in disciplinary silos, “and the silos are not communicating,” says Cox. “A lot of neurologists never heard of cyanobacteria, and a lot of cyanobacterial people were not that familiar with ALS. It’s going to require an interdisciplinary group to approach the problem from a number of different angles.

“There is a tie between cyanobacteria and human health. I think that’s pretty well accepted. And at this point we suspect there may be a tie between cyanobacterial toxins and your risk of progressive neurodegenerative disease — but it’s still a hypothesis.”

“If we can disprove it, we can go move on to something else,” adds Banack. “But so far we’ve been unable to disprove it. The data support the hypothesis.”

“We probably have some details wrong,” Cox admits. “But at this point, it’s hard to think that we, including all 20 universities focusing on it, are totally
on a wild-goose chase.”