Is the science part of this grand misunderstanding or a deflection?

[when his grip loosens his palm stings, nails almost dug in enough to draw blood and- yes, despite a muted part of him assessing this entire situation as wrong it is not enough to be more than a passing, ignored thought.] Why were they not told? How many died for this misunderstanding? And how many would have died if it went exactly as it was supposed to?