Science & Society

If there is reason for hope that coronavirus fears may mean pro-science beliefs get back to being the norm in modern culture, it is that regular chemicals have disappeared from store shelves in San Francisco while they clamor for vaccines they used to distrust. Meanwhile, there are plenty of organic alternatives and vegan food to be found. If there is reason for despair it's that 64 percent of British millennials believe the moon landing was fake. Distrust of reality is so endemic that 11 percent of millennials in the country think Tupac Shakur faked his own death and is living in hiding…

Conspiracy theories have a long history, but the actual term “conspiracy theory” emerged much more recently. It was only a few decades ago that the term took on the derogatory connotations it has today, where to call someone a conspiracy theorist functions as an insult. So it may come as no surprise that there is even a conspiracy theory about the origins of the label. This conspiracy theory claims that the CIA invented the term in 1967 to disqualify those who questioned the official version of John F Kennedy’s assassination and doubted that his killer, Lee Harvey Oswald, had acted alone.…

Twenty-seven people in Iran have died from drinking isopropyl alcohol in an attempt to protect from coronavirus.  It is true that washing the hands with soap or disinfecting with strong isopropyl alcohol, at least 70% concentration, or cleaning with 10% bleach solution will protect from coronavirus.  This does not mean that eating or drinking these substances will treat or prevent infection.  That seems obvious to most people.  The thing is headlines can’t be written for most people.  The challenge of writing the news is how to say what needs to be said, in a format…

The WHO continue to say that the coronavirus can be controlled, and is being brought under control. The evidence from China is clear - not only from their statistics but also the report of the international team that spend nine days studying the worst hit areas of China in person. South Korea has the fewest cases today for two weeks at a total of over 7000 cases which proves that it is not just China that is able to contain and stop the virus at thousands of cases. By using the same measures of fast case finding, contact tracing, quarantine and isolation, combined with public awareness and…

The Organic Trade Association has canceled The Organic Center's Annual Benefit Dinner due to venue concerns about coronavirus in Anaheim during the Natural Products Expo West, where the dinner was going to be held. Naturally. It's a shame. For only $300 each, 500 people would have been treated to seeing advertisements for 30 corporate sponsors and eaten an organic meal prepared by Chef Megan Mitchell. The chef is a contemporary cuisine expert but we have to hope she is not a contemporary woman, or she would very much not like to be in the presence of their scheduled keynote speaker, Professor…

This is the news that they are not really sharing on mainstream TV: China is containing this outbreak. The screenshot shows figures for one of the other provinces, Henan province, right next to the worst affected province Hubei. Meanwhile China as a whole reported only 329 new cases on thursday, the lowest number for over a month. This would not happen for a pandemic, so it is not a pandemic yet. The WHO say that if we act promptly it will never be a pandemic. The course of this disease is under our control. skip to: Why this is not a pandemic The Text (above) summarizes the evidence…

Freeman Dyson, who has died at the age of 96, wouldn’t have liked being called doctor.  Many other sites will well cover his life and achievements.  He contributed to our understandings of mathematics and physics in a way very few ever have, ever can, or ever will.  He did so at a time of great tumult in the world.  He did contribute so much so quickly that he never got a PhD.  Certainly, he could’ve gotten a PhD.  However, he truly had philosophical differences with the system of getting a PhD. Dysons “only” academic degree was a BA.  Back at a time when…

Katherine Johnson, a Mathematician doing a job known as being a “computer” for NASA in the movie “Hidden Figures” died today at the age of 101.  She started out at a time where being such a human computer was looked about as lowly clerical work fit for women.  It was one of the few outlets for a woman of intelligence.  Computer programming and computer science for the up coming digital computers which she also worked on were looked at the same way. Media reporting on computer programming as being particularly suited to women.  Now, in this day and age, that might seem like…

A new paper says scientists can make their work more appealing to the public by making it more personal. I learned of it through a paid university PIO but few scientists will see the irony in that. I certainly agree with the point. I have been part of two communities, science and the military, that in defiance of public perception are filled with hilarious people who have great stories. But when the recorder comes on, it's often like talking to someone in marketing who hasn't been cleared for media by their boss. They clam up or give canned answers. I want the stories, not some dry discourse…

A recent paper finds that vaccine disinformation is common on social media while a few years ago I had employees watch food documentaries on Netflix and write about their impression and the results in both cases are startling for people who don't realize the extent of the problem.  Those with conspiracy theories about the modern world can now gain a worldwide audience, using social media and free markets. Let's assume Netflix executives are smart people and know their audience.  When we looked at Netflix we found they had no interest in documentaries about food unless it had scary…