I wrote an essay ten years ago about how the cure for scurvy was found and then accidentally lost again. I was provoked into writing it by a fascination with that sense of certainty. People are almost pathologically incapable of believing they don't know. https://idlewords.com/2010/03/scott_and_scurvy.htm …
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The idea that Indians keep a respectful physical distance from one another is also a treat for anyone who's ever been made sweet love to standing in an Indian queue. Sometimes it feels like the NYT learns about the world from an 1890 Baedeker guide chained to the editor's table
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People in my replies claiming that lockdowns explain everything—they do not explain Japan. This is an elderly, crowded country that was very late to adopt significant measures (other than school closings), with community spread since at least early March. And yet not so bad. Why?
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Anyway, just know that if you're not persuaded by the many explanations for why this virus has affected the world so unevenly, you're not the only fool out there in a sea of experts. Come sit by me (but not too close).
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One reason people are reluctant to admit doubt is a kind of purity thinking that takes hold in these situations. Psychologically, we want a sense of control; that if we obey the rules, wash hands, keep our distance, etc, we won't get sick. That is a painful belief to question.
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And let me be clear that I'm not questioning these measures, or being all woo about what makes people sick. I just think there's some additional factor in the mix affecting where it spreads.
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By the way, this facet of the story (the X factor responsible for uneven spread, beyond just randomness) is potentially extremely good news for the world. If we can figure out what inhibits the contagion in some places, or disinhibits it in others, we will have a powerful weapon
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See, it's backwards for me. In Poland it's customary for men to shake hands the first time you meet that day (like office colleagues). It's a habit I kept for some reason and I always feel conspicuously out of place doing it in the US
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Meat consumption? (That’s actually a drastic difference between D.R. and Haiti…)
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