March 26, 2020
I woke up thinking about the moment you begin to believe something to be true or correct. In criminal cases, terms such as "beyond a reasonable doubt," "probable cause," "reasonable belief and suspicion," and 'credible evidence" all speak to intellectual thresholds of alignment between reported memories/historical events with the verifiable facts. But for each member of a jury or a judge there is a moment - a moment where someone's mind shifts, like gears aligning, in which the person says, "I believe this thing to be true or not." Being aware of that moment and then ensuring you are asking further questions (don't forget the logical fallacies and bias lists linked below) is the key to protecting yourself from being human - locked into a brain that can only take data from 5 senses that must construct/reconstruct timelines of cause and effect to bring rational understanding to the world.
https://yourbias.is/
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https://www.ft.com/coronavirus-latest
not liking that slope on the US line...but remember, today's data reflects what we did 5-10 days ago!
https://twitter.com/jimsciutto/status/1242988119156314118
It is hard to parse through the volume of anecdotal data regarding chloroquine (Plaquenil) for treating coronavirus. Based on the stories I've read, I would probably take it if I became sick. BUT that doesn't mean we know that it works. What we know is people are taking and some of those people report getting better. That's not good data. Here is an overview of what we know and what we don't regarding treatments:
https://www.ft.com/content/91bd081e-6e7b-11ea-9bca-bf503995cd6f
Some comments from the man of the hour https://twitter.com/muzamil_banday/status/1242685297847963649
Sobering data on why we are struggling to find some treatments...
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763485
As usual, the New Yorker comes through finding just the right point to a story - the stress and loneliness of doing good work, while knowing and seeing things that other's do not (and may not believe). How Doctors Live With the Risks of the Coronavirus applies now and at other times in a medical career...
https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-doctors-live-with-the-risks-of-the-coronavirus
and
https://wgno.com/news/health/coronavirus/ochsner-60-employees-test-positive-for-covid-19-300-in-quarantine/
Keenan sent me this last night - I am hoping someone will listen and report back...
https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30/status/1242865808281227268?s=20
(interestingly, I note that Mr. Curry has the word "Believer" as the first item in his Twitter bio, which I suspect was meant to convey something else)...
One of the hardest parts of understanding the world these days is the sheer volume of data and unclear sources. Here is something interesting on the propaganda of coronavirus
https://www.propublica.org/article/how-china-built-a-twitter-propaganda-machine-then-let-it-loose-on-coronavirus
Until I read this, I did not believe Tater Tots had alternative uses. I have been convinced (beyond a reasonable doubt) that Tater Tots and waffle irons may be the foundation of numerous culinary adventures...
https://twitter.com/mspowahs/status/1240676111534653442?s=21
Bonus - Ada, the (tweetist? tweetor?) is a fantastic writer.
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Bonus Round - People who shaped critical thinking (or the need thereof) edition...
I recently re-read the story of Socrate's trial and subsequent execution as I was helping my son with his 9th grade world civilizations paper. I walked away with a much deeper appreciation how the politics of Athens (a time of political turmoil and social upheaval) were so critical. Well worth a cursory and deeper review, if nothing else than to shape what are (if you are like me) likely memories from high school civics or college 101 courses through the lens of a more adult view of the world...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_Socrates
to be honest, this not particularly obscure, but felt correct to be here today. There are a ton of books on this topic...
https://www.goodreads.com/search?q=socrates&qid=hbWBoQn19x
Edward L Bernays if often described as the father of modern marketing (perhaps by himself?). He was the nephew of Sigmund Freud, an immigrant to the U.S. from Austria just before 1900. He wrote numerous books on Public Relations, some of which became the intellectual foundations for both good and bad. What I find interesting is that he wrote some of the history about himself, which may be why there are harsh critics and amazing linkages to the pivotal roles he played in what are commonly held beliefs today...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Bernays
an good biography https://www.amazon.com/Father-Spin-Edward-Bernays-Relations-ebook/dp/B0091I177W
an overview of his work Crystallizing Public Opinion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystallizing_Public_Opinion
Keep a sharp mind and clean hands.
-AW
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