When Science Isn't Playing it Safe Enough

 

There are a number of reasons that Covid-19 has spread so rapidly and caused such devastation. There are the normal culprits, covid-denial, anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers; all of those things being anti-science. But what about when science itself is anti-science?

It turns out that a flawed understanding of a paper from the 1960s led the WHO to determine that pathogens could only aerosol at 5 microns or less and could only travel 5-6 feet. It turns out that pathogens of 5 microns can travel HUNDREDS of feet and pathogens as large as 100 microns can aerosolize.

When members of the scientific community cling to outdated science rather than embracing new information, it can have horrific results. Members of the scientific community have the same confirmational biases that all humans have.

This WIRED article is a real eye-opener. But, despite the main point, there is something else to keep in mind. The CDC and WHO were NOT erring to the side of caution, quite the opposite. Things should have been even MORE strict than they had been. Those complaining that they were being draconian are still idiots.