Amid such confusion, Obama's speech seems destined to function as therapeutic balm: licencing us to carry on largely as before with a swiftly and slightly changed perspective.
The researchers used a technology called iChip, currently under exclusive licence to US company NovoBiotic Pharmaceuticals, to tap into the much-prophesied microbial "dark matter" – the roughly 99% of micro-organisms that cannot be cultured in laboratory conditions and were thus unseen by the early antibiotic discoverers.
Previously, a number of programs included in BiopTools have been distributed on an ad hoc basis, but only the relevant BiopLib routines have been distributed with these programs, with the restriction that they may not be used for any other purpose without first obtaining a signed licence from us.
If we let our governments and businesses think we are indifferent to their cynicism they will go on practising it on licence from us and every cup of coffee we drink and every piece of cotton we wear will continue to be an act of cruelty.
"We need certainty to have a long-term enough licence for us to able to invest," said Mr Fulford.
"A probationary licence allows us to closely monitor the performance of Bradford Bulls next season and develop a view on what direction we take in future years.
This gave US officials licence to use a whole range of brutal methods, including waterboarding, "rectal feeding", and sleep deprivation for up to a week, usually standing or in painful stress positions.
Herman Van Rompuy and José Manuel Barroso, the presidents of the European council and the European commission, asked Obama to come up with measures that would favour European companies obtaining licences to export US shale gas in liquid form to Europe.
The NSA has said that it does not have access to photos taken for US passports or US driving licences, but declined to comment about photos submitted by foreigners applying for visas to the country.
The bank has been threatened with having its US banking licence revoked and has been ordered to appear before the regulator soon to explain these apparent violations.
