Epidemiologists cannot know the specific actions of each individual in a community. This kind of knowledge is not knowable to any scientist. The top mistake being made by state governments is their imposing uniform rules that limit the use of local knowledge to fight the virus.
-
-
Epidemiologists study and model the epidemics. Their models include the relevant information. (Including human behavior and economic considerations.)
-
Certainly, I can be sympathetic to local knowledge problems. But "there is one and only one social responsibility of business -- to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits so long as it stays within the rules of the game," right?
- 2 more replies
New conversation -
-
-
Lol I independently made this exact reductio ad absurdum.
-
Analogies from physics: the interlocutors nearby hammer ;)
End of conversation
New conversation -
-
-
Social science is far away from the physical sciences in its ability to predict. People aren't atoms, but have agency and desires and particular needs that can't be known to central planners or experts.
Thanks. Twitter will use this to make your timeline better. UndoUndo
-
-
-
Fair enough, but individuals are far less predictable in their movements than atoms. (Or I guess pick something where Newtonian and not quantum physics holds.) It only takes one Danish concert, one Patient 31, to blow past society-level modeling.
-
And modeling will never descend to the level of cities akin to, say, Seward, KS. Localities with sufficient border controls and quarantine enforcement likely can proceed more quickly than NYC because they're completely different balls of wax. Maybe also slightly larger towns.
End of conversation
New conversation -
Loading seems to be taking a while.
Twitter may be over capacity or experiencing a momentary hiccup. Try again or visit Twitter Status for more information.