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Scientists understand that "perfection" is impossible. They want evidence-based inferences, that are progressively solidified through further experimentation. It's the general public that's more leery of both merely incremental progress, and tentative conclusions. That is a combination for failure.
Some people may "want to stop dying". Others are just fine with dying, and instead want for the restrictions to stop. A vaccine serves the desires of both. I'm all in favor of rushing a vaccine to mass-production and deployment. But the cover-your-posterior crowd, may not.
Our impediments now - whether scientific, or social - are mainly about aversion to risk. It's the same problem that precludes us sending astronauts to Mars, or building a supersonic aircraft, or making seminal advances in medicine, or - more to our current topic - doing something definitive about the 'rona. People are worried about side-effects, lawsuits, unintended consequences... in other words, risk.
A risk-averse people can not advance. It's as simple as that.
The risk is real.
Catching covid19 is one of the riskiest things anyone can possibly do, assuming the 0.18% chance of death for my age group (30s) is accurate, that's 1 in 550 odds of death.
There actually aren't that many things more risky. As far as diseases go, only cancer or some rare disease are worse.
As far as activities go, extreme sports are about the only thing riskier. I suppose taking up narcotics consumption and/or dealing.
People making the comparisons to auto accidents aren't taking into account how much safer cars are now compared to <1990s. Even my 1-year risk of dying from a motorcycle accident is less, about 1 in 850. It would be safer for me to take up motorcycle riding than catch covid.
1 in 550 odds seems pretty good on the surface, but in the context of all your risks of death or serious health complications in a 1-year period, it is quite high. If I could get those odds in one Vegas trip, I'd be rich.
I don't know about you, but I'm not fine with dying because people are inconvenienced. Not cool with that at all.
I'm sympathetic to the economic consequences but we could fix that easily if we'd just pay people a UBI for the duration of the crisis.
Which would leave current and future generations with an even more massive national debt than what we already have.
I actually agree with this. If the federal government had closed the borders (I though our President was in favor of this), made isolation at home mandatory for 3 weeks, and paid everyone a UBI for 3 weeks, we'd likely be much better off than we are now, with likely far less deaths, and having paid far less in federal aid.
Which would leave current and future generations with an even more massive national debt than what we already have.
No one can ever speak to me about the debt with a straight face again.
We've created $7 Trillion out of thin air and given it mostly to the already rich - companies, investors, and bondholders. We gave normal people a measley $1200.
In the meantime we cancelled both jobs and school and put ourselves in indefinite timeout.
Last edited by redguard57; 08-16-2020 at 10:22 PM..
No one can ever speak to me about the debt with a straight face again.
We've created $7 Trillion out of thin air and given it mostly to the already rich - companies, investors, and bondholders. We gave normal people a measley $1200.
In the meantime we cancelled both jobs and school and put ourselves in indefinite timeout.
As animals, we need to grow a broad fleshy flap below our eyes that hangs down to uur chin. It would be an evolutionary process but if COVID lasts forever it might be all the rage. We could hide snacks like squirrels.
Until that happens we are stuck with masks.
I live alone and never wear a mask at home but I do when out in public or shopping. Yesterday I walked out to the road to my rural mailbox to get my mail and there was a large envelope from a title company addressed to my new neighbors. It looked official and important. I often get other peoples' mail but that is a different discussion. Anyway, being neighborly I walked a couple hundred yards to my neighbor's house and rang the doorbell. We actually haven't met since they moved in and I haven't even seen them around the house. I could hear dogs barking and someone inside but they would not open the door. I realized then, too late, that I forgot my mask and they were hiding from me in the house. I turned away and started to leave and they cracked open the door an inch and I explained my purpose and left the mail on their porch step. Who knows, maybe they are quarantined and have Covid or maybe they were freaking out because I didn't have my usual mask. It is a bit weird these days.
As animals, we need to grow a broad fleshy flap below our eyes that hangs down to uur chin. It would be an evolutionary process but if COVID lasts forever it might be all the rage. We could hide snacks like squirrels.
Until that happens we are stuck with masks.
I live alone and never wear a mask at home but I do when out in public or shopping. Yesterday I walked out to the road to my rural mailbox to get my mail and there was a large envelope from a title company addressed to my new neighbors. It looked official and important. I often get other peoples' mail but that is a different discussion. Anyway, being neighborly I walked a couple hundred yards to my neighbor's house and rang the doorbell. We actually haven't met since they moved in and I haven't even seen them around the house. I could hear dogs barking and someone inside but they would not open the door. I realized then, too late, that I forgot my mask and they were hiding from me in the house. I turned away and started to leave and they cracked open the door an inch and I explained my purpose and left the mail on their porch step. Who knows, maybe they are quarantined and have Covid or maybe they were freaking out because I didn't have my usual mask. It is a bit weird these days.
Or they thought you were one of those religious solicitors, trying to sell them something, any number of reasons.
As animals, we need to grow a broad fleshy flap below our eyes that hangs down to uur chin. It would be an evolutionary process but if COVID lasts forever it might be all the rage. We could hide snacks like squirrels.
Until that happens we are stuck with masks.
I live alone and never wear a mask at home but I do when out in public or shopping. Yesterday I walked out to the road to my rural mailbox to get my mail and there was a large envelope from a title company addressed to my new neighbors. It looked official and important. I often get other peoples' mail but that is a different discussion. Anyway, being neighborly I walked a couple hundred yards to my neighbor's house and rang the doorbell. We actually haven't met since they moved in and I haven't even seen them around the house. I could hear dogs barking and someone inside but they would not open the door. I realized then, too late, that I forgot my mask and they were hiding from me in the house. I turned away and started to leave and they cracked open the door an inch and I explained my purpose and left the mail on their porch step. Who knows, maybe they are quarantined and have Covid or maybe they were freaking out because I didn't have my usual mask. It is a bit weird these days.
You're too funny, SunGrins! LOL!
I rather like my mask. I bought one online that has rhinestones and I'm enjoying both the bling and the way it draws attention to my eyes, like a veil from Arabian Nights. It lends a touch of mystery.
...Yesterday I walked out to the road to my rural mailbox to get my mail and there was a large envelope ...being neighborly I walked a couple hundred yards to my neighbor's house and rang the doorbell. ... they cracked open the door an inch ... It is a bit weird these days.
Quote:
Originally Posted by redguard57
Or they thought you were one of those religious solicitors, trying to sell them something, any number of reasons.
Off-topic, but that's a common lament in rural-living. Contrary to popular belief, it's quite the common situation, that neighbors rarely meet. At my now-former location, I would see neighbors maybe once every 3-4 years. One of them I'd never actually met - despite ~20 years of contiguous living. We spoke on the phone, when his dog had gotten loose... very cordial, even friendly. But we never physically even waved to each other. So, when such a doorstep-interaction does occur, it's quite the event.
Mail gets improperly routed all the time, as the rural mail carriers aren't USPS regular employees... they're contractors, driving their own vehicles. The usual approach is to drive up to the neighbor's mail-box, bringing their mail, if it gets erroneously placed in one's own mailbox.
Summary: even pre-'rona, rural living was, ahem, solitary. Now? Even more so.
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Well said..
