The same day that President Trump suggested disinfectant to treat COVID-19, Bill Gates offered a refreshingly clear blog on the science needed to stop the virus.
One segment of the Gates blog speaks of the challenge of opening up public places after sheltering in place: “Schools offer a big benefit and should be a priority. Large sporting and entertainment events probably will not make the cut for a long time; the economic benefit of the live audience doesn't measure up to the risk of spreading the infection. Other activities fall into a gray area, such as church services or a high school soccer game with a few dozen people on the sidelines.”
Reflecting on his words was yet another reminder to stop entertaining the views of the various wacky pontificators who are willing to speculate on just about anything as long as the comment or tweet attracts interest.
By contrast, the pandemic and sharing truth about it can be equally challenging to scientists, doctors and engineers. To be honest, many of them need to speak and write more clearly and directly. Part of the difficulty is finding good editors to scour content before it is published, something that happens rarely these days. Speaking impromptu is more challenging, obviously.
It is time to go back to high school English teachers and praise them for teaching critical thinking skills. Much of what I have taught undergraduates in basic writing classes comes down to being skeptical, as in what Ernest Hemingway once said about the need for writers to have a good B.S. detector. At my first reporting job at City News Bureau of Chicago, editors drilled us on the need for verifying facts. There was a sign over the door, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.”
Maybe some people have no instinct for detecting falsehood. It is a learned skill. Educators need to train students about developing healthy skepticism. It’s one thing to deride President Trump for speaking nonsense, but quite another to educate ourselves on ways to find truth.
Matt Hamblen is editor of FierceElectronics. His views are his own.