Killed by denial of science

A country admired for its scientific expertise. Admired for its entrepreneurs converting knowledge into dollars and richness. Admired for building the best defense and security systems. Yet this country’s leadership is unable to stop a tiny virus. Not because its scientists do not understand how to do it or because there would be a lack of resources. No, because hyper arrogant leaders are unable to mandate simple things such as wearing a mask.

This failure of leadership is disgusting. If it were not true, nobody would belief that the leaders of the mightiest country could act so outright stupid. Children have been elected to leadership positions. Maybe the United States is a scam. Spending billions of dollars for defense and meddling in other countries’ internal conflicts — but being unable to protect its citizens from a pandemic. The risk is high that the U.S. will no longer be a superpower when the pandemic ends: killed by denial of science.

Its leaders do not understand what an absorption barrier is, or what extreme value theory is, or what the precautionary principle is or what the difference between additive and multiplicative processes is.

As a scientist I will not serve this country any longer if its leaders do not accept scientific advice. Why should I work hard and long hours to understand how nature works, how to predict the next states of nature, how to construct machines which behave reliably and predictably, how to develop treatments which benefit society with statistically relevant effects, how to identify cause and effect relationships? I simply expect and demand that our leaders follow scientific advice and do not turn it into a political circus. Politics is politics and science and science. Do not dare to interfere. If you do, you are not fit for office.