I found this a very important example of the profound effect of one's worldview on their response to emergencies. People must make logical arguments based on sparse data. They do so by unconsciously filling in the gaps -- so they can reach almost any conclusion they want, and change it quickly in response to influences of their community.
I found this a very important example of the profound effect of one's worldview on their response to emergencies. People must make logical arguments based on sparse data. They do so by unconsciously filling in the gaps -- so they can reach almost any conclusion they want, and change it quickly in response to influences of their community.
One reason we have so many gaps is because of our strange tendency to memory hole public health crises. The 1919 Flu Epidemic was a no-go subject for generations after it ended, and it's hard to believe that information we would have found useful wasn't in records that were later destroyed or never existed at all. We should have a good media record of the covid years, and I'm hopeful that a good epidemiological record will survive this time, as well. We're sure to need it.
I found this a very important example of the profound effect of one's worldview on their response to emergencies. People must make logical arguments based on sparse data. They do so by unconsciously filling in the gaps -- so they can reach almost any conclusion they want, and change it quickly in response to influences of their community.
One reason we have so many gaps is because of our strange tendency to memory hole public health crises. The 1919 Flu Epidemic was a no-go subject for generations after it ended, and it's hard to believe that information we would have found useful wasn't in records that were later destroyed or never existed at all. We should have a good media record of the covid years, and I'm hopeful that a good epidemiological record will survive this time, as well. We're sure to need it.