HOW GOES THE RESISTANCE? REPORT FROM THE FRONT LINES (2021, No. 22) At least in the US people seem to be settling into their favorite information bubble, with the Republican party now totally in bed with climate deniers, anti-vaxxers, Big Lie proponents, and other conspiracy promoters. They also fiercely oppose teaching critical race theory, the history of slavery, oppression, and discrimination in …
Rick's Pearl
1 day, 20 hours ago
Rick's Pearl · 1 day, 20 hours ago
Assessed by Rick
HOW GOES THE RESISTANCE? REPORT FROM THE FRONT LINES (2021, No. 21) One of the nurses interviewed on ABC News at the New York City ticker-tape parade for first responders made a stunning observation about how the city had defeated Covid-19 via wide-scale vaccination of the public when she said, “Science won.” What we took her to mean was that scientists developed …
Rick's Pearl
2 weeks, 1 day ago
Rick's Pearl · 2 weeks, 1 day ago
Assessed by Rick
I recommend the In the Pipeline blog by Dr. Derek Lowe, https://blogs.sciencemag.org/pipeline/ as a very useful source of news and information on COVID vaccines, on-going clinical trials, vaccine technology, the supply chain and production issues from ideas in labs to jabs in arms, and occasional bits on ethics. Posts have lively and generally well-informed discussions. The blog covers many topics, but his COVID-19 topic is …
#covid-19 #covid-19vaccines #covid-19Trials #covid-19Biology
Allan's Pearl
6 months ago
7 views
Allan's Pearl · 6 months ago
· 7 views
Assessed by Allan
Knowledge grows and evolves over time. Technology and methodology advance as people discover new and better ways of observing, measuring and controlling things. Microscopes allowed scientists to observe bacteria, and this led to improved understanding of diseases. Telescopes allowed us to observe distant galaxies, quasars, cosmic expansion and the bending of light caused by black holes. All of those observations feed a process of …
#nugget #knowledgebank #covid-19 #knowledgeEvolution #ProofsAndRefutations #counterexample #Lakatos #communityOfTrust #trustworthiness #F.Hayes-Roth #learning
Rick's Pearl
7 months, 3 weeks ago
57 views
Rick's Pearl · 7 months, 3 weeks ago
· 57 views
Assessed by Rick
Facts are assertions we should believe because they provide the simplest descriptions or explanations of evidence available. Shams are assertions we should disbelieve because they do not qualify as facts. Usually shams rest on bogus evidence or questionable explanations. Humans benefit from facts, because knowledge enables us to make better decisions. Shams harm people in many ways, including misleading them about reality and prodding …
#claim #sham #nugget #fact #covid-19 #evidence #justification #complement #knowledge #flu
Rick's Pearl
7 months, 3 weeks ago
49 views
Rick's Pearl · 7 months, 3 weeks ago
· 49 views
Assessed by Rick
People often compare the US and S. Korea because both countries had their first confirmed Covid-19 deaths on the same day in January 2020. Immediately thereafter South Korea began serious efforts to contain the virus incuding testing, containment, contact tracing and quarantines. The US Federal Government started encouraging social distance and masking months later, and Donald Trump "downplayed" the threat to the US public. …
#covid-19fatalities #covid-19policies #covid-19mortaility #DonaldTrump #CompareUStoSKorea #S.KoreaVsUS #SouthKoreaVsUS #leadershipFailure #CompareS.KoreaToUS #pandemicResponses #SouthKorea #USvsSouthKorea #S.Korea #leadership #USvsS.Korea
Rick's Pearl
7 months, 3 weeks ago
34 views
Rick's Pearl · 7 months, 3 weeks ago
· 34 views
Assessed by Rick
Why does the CDC state that "less than 10 percent" of Covid-19 transmission occurs outdoors? How much Covid-19 transmission actually occurs outdoors? Why is a 10X or 100X overstatement of actual risk considered "conservative"? How did ways of classifying construction projects in Singapore lead to an overestimate of outdoor cases? What is the current best estimate of the fraction of Covid-19 cases arising from …
#covid-19rates #CDCcredibility #CDC #constructionWorkers #covid19Transmission #outdoorTransmission #indoorMasking #Singapore #outdoorMasking #sharkAttacks
Rick's Gem
2 months, 1 week ago
Rick's Gem · 2 months, 1 week ago
Assessed by Rick
What can happen to prominent people who deny that COVID-19 is real and dangerous? Who was Hans Kristian Gaarder, 60, from Gran, a municipality that lies 40 miles north of Oslo? How did the Norwegian COVID-19 denier die? How did Hans Kristian Gaardner contract COVID-19 that killed him? Where did Hans Kristian Gaardner publicize his denial of COVID-19 risks? What kinds of illegal gatherings preceded …
#covid-19fatalities #Covid-19Disinformation #Norwegian #Norway #covid19denier
Rick's Gem
3 months ago
Rick's Gem · 3 months ago
Assessed by Rick
How many Republicans in March 2021 say they are reluctant to be vaccinated against Covid-19? What matters more, race or political affiliation, in explaining current vaccination reluctance? Who is Frank Luntz? Who is Dr. Tom Frieden? What did Dr. Frieden say that most influenced Trump voters to become less reluctant about Covid-19 vaccines? How does acknowledging uncertainty increase the credibility of scientific arguments?
#covid-19vaccines #anti-vaxer #TrumpVoters #vaccineReluctance #FrankLunts #CDCcredibility #TomFrieden #acknowledgingUncertainty #CDC #Republicans #changingMinds
Rick's Gem
4 months ago
Rick's Gem · 4 months ago
Assessed by Rick
Why do some patients dying from COVID-19 still believe the virus is a hoax? How many US adults believe the Chinese government created the coronavirus as a bioweapon? How many US adults believe people in power created the pandemic? Why is it difficult to cure people of false beliefs? When are we susceptible to misinformation? What are the six "degrees of manipulation" used to …
#covid-19 #accuracy-nudge #infodemic #who #Covid-19Disinformation #Covid-19Misinformation #covid-19China #pandemic #protectingBrains #GoViral! #prebunking #accuracyNudge #bioweapon #brainwashed #susceptibilityToMisinformation #misinformationSusceptible #disinformationSpread
Rick's Gem
5 months ago
4 views
Rick's Gem · 5 months ago
· 4 views
Assessed by Rick
What does "disinfodemic" mean? Who is fighting the Covid-19 disinfodemic? Why is UNESCO fighting Covid-19 disinfo? What are the four main formats in which disinfo appears? What are the nine key themes in the disinfodemic?
#covid-19origin #covid-19recession #Covid-19Disinformation #Covid-19Misinformation #politicization #financialIncentives #attacksOnJournalists #politicisation #celebrities #misleadingStatistics #discreditedJournalists #celebrityDisinformation #falseStatistics
Rick's Gem
7 months, 2 weeks ago
39 views
Rick's Gem · 7 months, 2 weeks ago
· 39 views
Assessed by Rick
How do people catch Covid-19? What is the main route of transmission? How far can a cough disperse virus particles? How far can a sneeze project virus particles? What is a fomite? How long might patients harbor infections SARS-CoV-2 virus in their saliva, stool and urine after falling ill? How long spent in close contact with an infected person results in increased risk for …
#covid-19 #covid-19transmission #SARS-Cov-2 #aerosolizedVirus
Rick's Gem
7 months, 3 weeks ago
28 views
Rick's Gem · 7 months, 3 weeks ago
· 28 views
Assessed by Rick
Who created the SARS-CoV-2 virus? Where did the SARS-CoV-2 virus come from? Who spread the virus intentionally? Why did people spread the virus? How bad is Covid-19 compared to the flu? Who should wear a mask? Who doesn't need to wear a mask? How effective is hydroxychloroquine for treating Covid-19? How much transmission occurred during the Black Lives Matter protests? How many people became …
#covid-19fatalities #covid-19vaccines #Covid-19testing #Covid-19Disinformation #Covid-19Misinformation #covid-19risk #covid-19myth #covid-19herdImmunity #herdImmunity #Covid-19cases #SARS-Cov-2
Rick's Gem
7 months, 3 weeks ago
35 views
Rick's Gem · 7 months, 3 weeks ago
· 35 views
Assessed by Rick
What is the most common misinformation about COVID-19? What cures and remedies exist for COVID-19? How can you prevent becoming infected by COVID-19? Why do people think 5G wireless technology causes COVID-19? Who or what made the COVID-19 virus? What false claims are being made about vaccines?
#covid-19 #covid-19origin #covid-19vaccines #misinformationineurope #covid-19cures #covid-19prevention #misinformation #infodemic #5g
Rick's Gem
7 months, 3 weeks ago
55 views
Rick's Gem · 7 months, 3 weeks ago
· 55 views
Assessed by Rick
What is the risk of dying from covid for people under 20? How many people under 20 die from covid?
#covid-19fatalities #covid-19rates
Rick's Gem
8 months ago
4 views
Rick's Gem · 8 months ago
· 4 views
Assessed by Rick