Germ theory of disease? Yep that’s over. Science resolved that. (Little things we can’t see can make us sick but even that is super complex!). Spacing vaccine boosters? There are people with impeccable credentials on both sides of the question, plus issues of trust & governance.
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted George Thomas
The best ones are good at exactly that. Everyone would easily acknowledge it’s true, and there will always be disagreement on where the line is. But “follow the science” really has become a talisman that’s being evoked to hide that line.https://twitter.com/FordPrefect747/status/1345425599851061251 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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zeynep tufekci Retweeted Jeff
After months of being accused of being anti-science because I recommended wearing masks back in March, and many futile months trying to emphasize focusing on indoor activities and stop the beach/outdoor shaming. I love this example of "follow the science"!https://twitter.com/musicpsych/status/1345446872790552576?s=20 …
zeynep tufekci added,
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I never thought I'd personally live through such an intense period of groupthink + consensus shifts (which are not alien concepts at all for sociology!) but I hadn't realized how they'd be accompanied by this deep and immediate "always been at war with Eastasia" amnesia. Amazing.
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We spent months trying to get masks accepted as a scientifically reasonable precaution! (Now seems we can't get it across that not all masks are equal). A whole year trying to get authorities (mostly in Western nations) to emphasize ventilation and indoors as risks! lol folks.
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To emphasize: I am *completely* on the side of science—the enterprise, the method, the miracle of it all. I am in awe of what scientists have done last year. It was an annus mirabilis for science and annus horribilis for humanity. But "follow the science" has become a talisman.
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Replying to @zeynep
Hope you are maintaining enough skepticism to remember that being right about one thing (masks) provides absolutely no insulation against being wrong about other things (immunology).
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Replying to @Merz
The current immunology debate is way above my pay grade with virologists with impeccable credentials on both sides of the debate! We'll learn soon. My argument was to immediately launch a trial for what happens without an immediate booster, and we absolutely should have.
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Replying to @zeynep
There are no "both sides" on this one. There's only a lack of data, as you indicate. And in the absence of data no scientifically-based policy prescription is possible, yet.
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Meaning that at present we have one set of evidence-based options (prime + boost for multiple vaccines, not mixed).
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As I said, there are many leading virologists, immunologists and doctors who disagree with you—they assert we know enough to go ahead now and the benefits are worth it—but that is not my debate to have. The field can do that. I'll advocate that the UK collect data a la RECOVERY.
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Yes, they're thoughtful. And the more thoughtful they are, the less certain.
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