Policy & Ethics

Several years ago, when I first became a science communicator, I was giving a talk in Seattle about GMOs.

We grew up in an era when the mainstream media reported the news straightforwardly, but now much of it is bought and paid for.

As cities and states across America slowly reopen for business, our leaders claim to be "following the science" as they lift restrictions.

The novel coronavirus, officially dubbed SARS-CoV-2, and the disease it causes (COVID-19) have continued to surprise all of us. And the surprises have been uniformly negative.

This article was originally published at Geopolitical Futures. The original is here.

Like democracy, everybody wants to be on the side of science.

I'm continually struck by what our species is capable of.

Should politicians make major, society-altering decisions based on polls? Framed that way, most people would probably answer "no." A politician's job is to be a leader, and sticking one's finger in the wind is not anyone's idea of leadership.

For those Americans who become infected with the novel coronavirus, symptoms include loss of smell, coughing, and high fever. For everyone else, the chief symptom is stupidity.

This article was originally published at Geopolitical Futures. The original is here.