I started writing this as a reply to Rob on the cross board post and realized I was going into rant.

I will be watching for too much politics on the Space Board.

This has always been an issue throughout the history of the board, though, and frustrating as a moderator and a participant.

I confess, as a scientist, a feeling of failure. Our current crisis is a result of politicians not listening to scientists, from day fucking one. The very first doctor to try to report an anomaly was arrested. For trying to alert the world of his professional and expert observations. From that first stifled alarm, the politicians of this world have resisted listening to the people who actually know what the hell they are talking about.

This is the end result of not respecting scientists and experts.

We tried here, on the Zone, to express the joy and importance of Science. Instead, we had to fight against crop circles, fossils on mars, climate change is a myth, earthquakes are increasing because of radiation in the stratosphere, chemtrails…the list goes on.

The impact of this virus could have been lessened if scientists had been listened to. Period. And while we deal with the immediacy of a pandemic the glaciers are melting and people are being told they can defeat a virus by shooting a blow dryer up their nose.

Fuck it. Homo sapiens are smart and clever. But also stupid.

Really damn stupid.

As a scientist, I’ve got to accept that data.