What does this gain them over hypothesizing that it can happen and working accordingly? Researchers always make this kind of claim but it’s bullshit. When we’re interested in making earthquake resistant structure we use shake tables, not full on earthquakes. When we want to make more fire resistant buildings we don’t go about making better fires. When we want to understand the harms of child sexual abuse we E: dom't go around raping children.

Everyone involved in this should be permanently barred from entering laboratories or working in the broader field at all. They can go become artesian lumberjacks or subsistence farmers.