Tuesday, October 3, 2023
Sunday, October 1, 2023
Friday, September 29, 2023
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Saturday, September 23, 2023
Can Physics explain the Purpose of Everything?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgTiMEfWkHE
Science describes how things happen and not why.
There is a joke in an Isaac Asimov robot novel where the students in a class troll their robot teacher by asking the 'why' of something. When the robot gives an answer they ask 'why' again, and keep repeating the request making the robot go into more and more detail.
Over 20 years ago I was struggling with the meaning of life, and I came to the conclusion that the meaning of life was to find meaning. The beauty of this is that it will be different for everyone. For many, it would be family, but for others, it would be something else. I like the idea of working toward some goal.
Emptiness of space
Our minds do not comprehend the emptiness of space. Huge distances separate the planets, yet this is tiny compared to the distance to the nearest star. These are further dwarfed by the size of the galaxy which in turn is dwarfed by the incredible vastness of the Observable Universe. And what lies between these celestial bodies is a great void. Immense emptiness that we will likely never cross.
Planet Earth is our lifeboat in a nearly infinite ocean of almost nothing.
Planet Earth is our lifeboat in a nearly infinite ocean of almost nothing.
Friday, September 22, 2023
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
why tolerating lactose is weird
https://youtube.com/shorts/EP56wTBgiPM?si=r2uVHs-DfDThyLfR
The truth is that people from cow herding cultures evolved toward adult lactose tolerance because it is a survival advantage. Most Asian people are lactose intolerant.
The truth is that people from cow herding cultures evolved toward adult lactose tolerance because it is a survival advantage. Most Asian people are lactose intolerant.
Tuesday, September 19, 2023
Thursday, September 14, 2023
Monday, September 11, 2023
Saturday, September 9, 2023
Jurassic Raccoon
https://youtube.com/shorts/D7w4AXKSZUg?si=_Pa-bGZVvGTP_raE
My father used to say that you should never feed a wild animal. I didn't understand at first, but the problem is that many animals can have rabies and not show symptoms. This includes raccoons.
Wild animals are not pets.
Migratory birds only fly south when the food runs out. I noticed that people would feed ducks who then stuck around till winter. This can't be good for the birds.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
My father used to say that you should never feed a wild animal. I didn't understand at first, but the problem is that many animals can have rabies and not show symptoms. This includes raccoons.
Wild animals are not pets.
Migratory birds only fly south when the food runs out. I noticed that people would feed ducks who then stuck around till winter. This can't be good for the birds.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Friday, September 8, 2023
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Difference between a Stellar Day and a Solar Day
It is hard to wrap my head around this, but the Earth actually rotates once every 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds. If you compare the position of the stars in the sky, they will be in the same place 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds later. However, the Earth is moving around the Sun in what is called prograde motion (the same direction as the rotation of the Sun, not that this matters), so consequently, the Sun appears in the same place in the sky roughly every 24 hours. It is a difference of 4 minutes. It is the difference between a Stellar day and a solar day.
Wednesday, September 6, 2023
Maybe we should set up an interstellar radio station
Maybe we should set up an interstellar radio station. Aliens might not understand anything about us, and most radio signals get lost in the noise, but MUSIC might punch through the void. Even a species with no concept of music would recognize that there is intelligence behind the patterns.
Tuesday, September 5, 2023
Eric Weinstein
Talk is cheap. I know nothing about this man or his credibility. It is a given that science hasn't found all the answers.
Monday, September 4, 2023
Saturday, September 2, 2023
Friday, September 1, 2023
I Can't Stop Thinking that People Who Deny Climate Change are Lying
1 second ago
I am not aware of people changing where they are on the climate belief scale. I can't speak for everyone, especially attention-seeking YouTubers.
Of course, human CO2 emissions have caused the atmosphere to warm by about 1 degree Celsius over the last 140 years.
However, this issue is far more complicated than that. Climate Alarmism very much depends upon as of yet unproven positive feedback mechanisms. The solutions to Climate Change are likely more expensive and damaging to our economy than they are worth.
There are many factors that contribute to people's doubt, which is maybe why it would appear that people are shifting positions. Just to name a few: The politicization of science. Poor past predictions. The urban heat island effect. The uncertainty associated with clouds. The large error bars in the models. Temperature data that is *estimated* based on models. The alteration of past temperature data. Climategate "hiding the decline". One third of the people on the IPCC are members of an environmental lobbying group, which is a conflict of interest. The IPCC refused to hire anyone who did not already believe in catastrophic-man-made warming, which is what they are supposed to evaluate. (You don't do science by starting with the conclusion.) The former head of the IPCC called catastrophic-man-made warming his "religion". (No bias there!) A former IPCC member said that it wasn't about climate but about doing away with free-market capitalism.
Some climate scientists said that they were afraid to speak out against climate alarmism because they would lose funding. There is no 97% consensus. There are many actual climate scientists who think the alarmism is overblown.
We are in a brief interglacial warm period. All of human civilization arose during this brief warm period. We are halfway between the Earth's maximum tilt, which melts glaciers, and its minimal tilt, which allows glaciers to grow. Over the very long term, global cooling will be the problem. What humans have done to the atmosphere is trivial, and we will be running out of most fossil fuels by the year 2100. We might run out of oil reserves in 40 years.
Monday, August 28, 2023
Sunday, August 27, 2023
Friday, August 25, 2023
I can't believe you are Seven 😳
It is amazing how big these animals are.
We shouldn't treat apex predators as pets.
Thursday, August 24, 2023
Thursday, August 17, 2023
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Sunday, August 13, 2023
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
Sunday, August 6, 2023
Watch "Secret Spy Glasses That See Everything" on YouTube
I saw this before but forgot about it.
This is hard to understand, but I think that it means that the pixels are polarized light that would be drowned out by the backlight without the filter. That is a clever piece of engineering.
On Sun, Aug 6, 2023 at 12:35 PM Albert wrote:
Since you just went through the pc monitor "kabuki dance", this might be interesting.
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Mars Lander sends SADDEST message home
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QP6Q1XaxYb0
@LinaScott
23 hours ago
Someone at NASA is a thoughtful smart ass to program those messages ... just beautiful
@FoodRecipes108
7 months ago
Homie got me crying for non living thing.
@LinaScott
23 hours ago
Someone at NASA is a thoughtful smart ass to program those messages ... just beautiful
@FoodRecipes108
7 months ago
Homie got me crying for non living thing.
Thursday, August 3, 2023
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Friday, July 28, 2023
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
They Are Monsters - Joe Rogan
https://youtube.com/shorts/iKc6RUUu5cQ?feature=share
I've remarked before that we are surrounded by a universe that wants to kill us.
I've remarked before that we are surrounded by a universe that wants to kill us.
Monday, July 24, 2023
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Saturday, July 22, 2023
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Friday, July 14, 2023
why you DON'T want foxes as pets
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YTcKomzbEwY
Wild animals don't make good pets.
For example, rabbits tend to be destructive and don't interact nearly as much as a dog or cat.
Thursday, July 13, 2023
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
Sunday, July 9, 2023
Building Blocks of Memory in the Brain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5trRLX7PQY&t=1460s
This video describes memory formation and retention as a competition between different neurons.
I have heard this before.
I wonder if more biological processes involve competition between cells. We know that some cells self-destruct when they detect a defect or an infection. Competition might be a method by which biology optimizes its functioning.
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
Monday, July 3, 2023
Sunday, July 2, 2023
Saturday, July 1, 2023
Monday, June 26, 2023
Sunday, June 25, 2023
Saturday, June 24, 2023
Dropping a Rock Down an Abandoned Coal Mine Shaft
3 weeks ago
Here's some math for you
The equation for the distance traveled of a free falling object is:
h = v_0t + 1/2(gt^2)
h equals height in meters;
v_0t equals initial velocity in meters per second;
g equals acceleration due to gravity in meters per second squared;
t equals time in seconds.
The initial velocity is 0 since the rock was being held at a standstill by the man. Simplifying the equation we get:
h = 1/2(gt^2)
I watched the video several times and came up with an approximate free fall time of 7.35 seconds. We know that acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s^2. Plugging in the numbers we get:
h = 1/2(9.8 x 7.35^2)
Solving for h we come up with:
h = 264.71 meters
The rock fell approximately 264.71 meters, or about 868.47 feet.
Now that we have a number for distance, we can now see how much the speed of sound affects the equation.
Speed of sound is 343 meters per second
264.71 / 343 = 0.77175
The sound of the rock hitting the bottom was delayed by about 0.77 seconds, which means we need to subtract that time from the original 7.35 seconds.
7.35 - 0.77 = 6.58 seconds of free fall.
Now we have a new free fall time, and can solve for h again with the new number:
h = 1/2(gt^2)
h = 1/2(9.8 x 6.58^2)
h = 212.15
So the rock actually fell about 212.15 meters, or 696.03 feet.
Air resistance would play a role as well, so it may be more like 200 meters or 650 feet, but Ima stop there.
Show less
Monday, June 19, 2023
Sunday, June 18, 2023
Saturday, June 17, 2023
Why aliens haven't visited Earth
Kim Komando: "I know why aliens haven't visited Earth. We only have a one-star rating."
In the fictional "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", the listing for Earth only says, "Mostly harmless."
Friday, June 16, 2023
Thursday, June 15, 2023
Monday, June 12, 2023
Friday, June 9, 2023
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
Sunday, June 4, 2023
Saturday, June 3, 2023
Snake eating itself
https://youtu.be/puKevC5boFg
Perhaps a Darwin Award for a snake.
Maybe hand sanitizer would be a snake repellent.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Perhaps a Darwin Award for a snake.
Maybe hand sanitizer would be a snake repellent.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Friday, June 2, 2023
Chemo is Weird, Y'all
Been watching this YouTuber, Hank Green, for about 13 years. (The first video I saw is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRRGaxx8Zf4)
A couple of weeks ago he announced that he had lymphoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6a4hMyiwBo
He alternates making youtube videos with his brother John, who wrote the book, "The Fault in Our Stars" which was made into a terrific movie. John Green appears in a deleted scene of the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEEQ6-4nKYQ
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
Sunday, May 28, 2023
Is the CO2 greenhouse effect saturated?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVc-Y-mJ_uY&t=672s
John Coffey
7 minutes ago (edited)
We have almost doubled the CO2 level already from the preindustrial level, and we aren't experiencing a 2 to 4 degree increase in temperature. Instead, we are looking at a 1 to 1.1-degree increase. The current rate of change is barely over 1/100th of a degree per year. Climate Alarmism depends upon as-of-yet unproven positive feedback effects, which likely exist, but we also have to factor in the negative feedback.
7 minutes ago (edited)
We have almost doubled the CO2 level already from the preindustrial level, and we aren't experiencing a 2 to 4 degree increase in temperature. Instead, we are looking at a 1 to 1.1-degree increase. The current rate of change is barely over 1/100th of a degree per year. Climate Alarmism depends upon as-of-yet unproven positive feedback effects, which likely exist, but we also have to factor in the negative feedback.
Right now we should be in the rapid cooling phase of the Milankovich Cycles and headed toward the next period of mass glaciation, except that those pesky humans have warmed the planet a tiny bit. Thank goodness for that.
Saturday, May 27, 2023
"I looked at the recent bird flu data, and now I'm really scared."
An elderly friend of mine in Salt Lake City died from the flu.
According to the video, there is no pandemic of the Bird Flu right now, but conditions are ripe for one to happen. It has infected animals close enough to humans for it to have the potential to spread to people.
The video claims that public officials are trying to prevent an outbreak. It would be good if we could avoid another pandemic.
Friday, May 26, 2023
Does COVID Mess With Your DNA?
https://youtu.be/6q_Sf4I0Bp0
What I gather from the video is that the methylation of genes is a natural bodily response to infection. People with long COVID appear to have overly persistent and/or inappropriate methylation leading to chronic inflammation.
What I gather from the video is that the methylation of genes is a natural bodily response to infection. People with long COVID appear to have overly persistent and/or inappropriate methylation leading to chronic inflammation.
IPCC pressure tactics exposed: "Hide the decline."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_8xd0LCeRQ&t=764s
John Coffey
1 minute ago
As much as I am a climate alarmism skeptic, what I gather from the video is that the most recent tree ring data is aberrant from the actual temperature data and other proxies. So they threw out the data that didn't match recent reality as they understood it from the temperature data. There was no "decline" if you believe the temperature data is correct.
However, they replaced the missing data with fake data making all the data appear to agree. They simply could have excluded the tree ring data because of its apparent unreliability.
Many people have called into question the temperature record, because of the urban heat island effect. I also have heard that roughly half of all temperature data is not data at all but estimates based on models. This leads to apparent circular reasoning where the models are based on data, but some of the data is based on models. Why isn't this a problem?
John Coffey
1 minute ago
As much as I am a climate alarmism skeptic, what I gather from the video is that the most recent tree ring data is aberrant from the actual temperature data and other proxies. So they threw out the data that didn't match recent reality as they understood it from the temperature data. There was no "decline" if you believe the temperature data is correct.
However, they replaced the missing data with fake data making all the data appear to agree. They simply could have excluded the tree ring data because of its apparent unreliability.
Many people have called into question the temperature record, because of the urban heat island effect. I also have heard that roughly half of all temperature data is not data at all but estimates based on models. This leads to apparent circular reasoning where the models are based on data, but some of the data is based on models. Why isn't this a problem?
Thursday, May 25, 2023
Parrot DESTROYS "-ocks" 😮
https://youtube.com/shorts/RrM9DmeevAA?feature=share
At the end, did I hear, "Is it a block?"
Can this parrot speak in sentences?
Best wishes,
John Coffey
At the end, did I hear, "Is it a block?"
Can this parrot speak in sentences?
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Monday, May 22, 2023
Sunday, May 21, 2023
Saturday, May 20, 2023
Friday, May 19, 2023
Wild Beehive in a Washing Machine (Short Version)
https://youtube.com/shorts/ame3yfxCdxY?feature=share
Every one of this woman's videos are exactly the same. She is not afraid to handle bees, and she takes pride in relocating colonies.
I've had three bees stings in my life, starting as a small child. If I tried to handle bees the way she does, I would probably get multiple stings.
Perhaps she uses a smoker while she is handling the bees. Honey bees become docile in the presence of smoke. I am guessing that their instinct is to take shelter in the hive.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Every one of this woman's videos are exactly the same. She is not afraid to handle bees, and she takes pride in relocating colonies.
I've had three bees stings in my life, starting as a small child. If I tried to handle bees the way she does, I would probably get multiple stings.
Perhaps she uses a smoker while she is handling the bees. Honey bees become docile in the presence of smoke. I am guessing that their instinct is to take shelter in the hive.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Your Brain Is Shaped Like Nobody Else’s - Nautilus
A growing body of research now confirms there are plenty of physical dissimilarities between individual brains, particularly when it comes to white matter—the material nestled beneath the much-prized gray matter. And it's not just anatomical. White matter hosts connections between the brain's sections, like a city's streets and avenues. So behavioral patterns can arise from even small physical differences in white matter, according to a late 2022 Science paperpenned by Forkel and a colleague.1
https://nautil.us/your-brain-is-shaped-like-nobody-elses-297950/
Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Ancient Humans Made Millions Of These - We Don’t Know Why -
Homo Habilis, with only a brain size of 610 cc, invented the stone axe about 2.5 million years ago. This was high-tech for over 2 million years.
Homo sapiens, with a brain size of 1350 cc, have only been around for about 300,000 years.
I had heard that more varied tool usage didn't start until about 50,000 years ago. However, this is not correct...
Names of the days of the week
In many languages, the names given to the seven days of the week are derived from the names of the classical planets in Hellenistic astronomy, which were in turn named after contemporary deities,
In the international standard ISO 8601, Monday is treated as the first day of the week.
The seven-day week was adopted in early Christianity from the Hebrew calendar, who copied it from the Babylonians and gradually replaced the Roman nundinal cycle. Sunday remained the first day of the week, being considered the day of the sun god Sol Invictus and the Lord's Day, while the Jewish sabbath remained the seventh. Emperor Constantine adopted the seven-day week for official use in 321 CE, making the Day of the Sun (dies Solis) a legal holiday.
The Germanic peoples adapted the system introduced by the Romans by substituting the Germanic deities for the Roman ones (with the exception of Saturday)
In the international standard ISO 8601, Monday is treated as the first day of the week.
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Monday, May 15, 2023
Saturday, May 13, 2023
Oklahoma researchers find possible link between diet, MS | KFOR.com Oklahoma City
I'm not a doctor, so I am not giving medical advice. This needs more research.
Friday, May 12, 2023
Monday, May 8, 2023
Saturday, May 6, 2023
Friday, May 5, 2023
Thursday, May 4, 2023
How the ‘Unvaccinated’ Got It Right
https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/how-the-unvaccinated-got-it-right_5238208.html?utm_campaign=socialshare_email
I am disturbed by how every commentator on the political right has turned anti-COVID-vaccine to one degree or enough. While most are against the vaccine, some think it should only be given to the most vulnerable population because of reported vaccine risk.
The article cherry-picks its data and makes a number of false claims. It hits every anti-vaccine point that has come up over the last three years and relies on emotional language to make its points.
1. It is not true that the vaccinated die at a higher rate than the unvaccinated. The data shows so much the opposite that it takes extreme mental gymnastics to come to this conclusion.
The article points to data from the vaccine trial. The problem with this is that the vaccine trial was given to a wide range of people, including nursing home patients who might have died anyway, so any discussion of the death rate from the initial trial is not proof of anything. https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/08/no-more-vaccinated-people-didnt-die-from-covid-in-pfizers-vaccine-trial.html
There has been a ton of research after the initial trial. I have read a number of papers that support the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
I saw one study that indicated that 1 out of a million people might die from the vaccine, usually people with comorbidities. This is roughly the same risk of death every time you get in a car. However, the disease has killed 1 out of 92 infected people in the United States, usually people with comorbidities. Young healthy people have also died from COVID. Nobody claims that the vaccine is perfectly safe, or effective, but the relative risk is much lower. One out of every 285 Americans has died from COVID. I lost a cousin to COVID.
The efficacy of the vaccine has changed as the disease has evolved. Because of this, many people claim that the government lied to us about the efficacy of the vaccine. Although the vaccine is now less effective at preventing the disease, the data shows that it is still 97% effective at preventing hospitalization and death.
2. It is not true that the vaccine is untested.
3. The vaccine was not tested for stopping the spread of the virus.
Although initially true, there wasn't time before the Emergency Use Authorization to determine whether the vaccine stopped the spread of the virus. Most commentators take this to mean that it doesn't. However, I have read more recent scientific studies that show that vaccinated people are much less likely to spread the disease.
If a member of your family has COVID, wouldn't you prefer that they be vaccinated? According to at least one study, the vaccinated are less likely to spread the disease to a family member.
4. The article claims that the vaccine mRNA might not be eliminated inside the body, without offering any proof, further making the unsupported claim that this could harm our health.
It is a well-known medical fact that mRNA is destroyed in less than a second after it is used. Your body is making and disposing of mRNA every microsecond.
Even if some of the vaccine mRNA stays around, there is no vehicle for the mRNA to enter other cells. The vaccine needs a lipid delivery mechanism to work. Once the mRNA enters the cell, it loses this mechanism.
5. The article claims that there are no long-term vaccine risk studies.
This is most likely true, although it depends upon what you mean by long-term. There have been more studies on the COVID disease and vaccination than any other disease.
"no long-term side effects have been detected. "
https://portal.ct.gov/vaccine-portal/Vaccine-Knowledge-Base/Articles/Long-Term-Effects?language=en_US
However, the long-term effects of the COVID disease have been severe, with about 11% of the infected getting "long covid". This can be life-threatening or completely debilitating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpjGLLbWZJ0
6. The article claims that the government violated people's civil liberties and engaged in censorship, and this is a good reason to not get vaccinated.
The first part of this statement is true, but it would be like saying that because you live in communist China you should not get vaccinated. The efficacy and safety of the vaccine is a completely different issue from the oppressive nature of governments.
I am disturbed by how every commentator on the political right has turned anti-COVID-vaccine to one degree or enough. While most are against the vaccine, some think it should only be given to the most vulnerable population because of reported vaccine risk.
The article cherry-picks its data and makes a number of false claims. It hits every anti-vaccine point that has come up over the last three years and relies on emotional language to make its points.
1. It is not true that the vaccinated die at a higher rate than the unvaccinated. The data shows so much the opposite that it takes extreme mental gymnastics to come to this conclusion.
The article points to data from the vaccine trial. The problem with this is that the vaccine trial was given to a wide range of people, including nursing home patients who might have died anyway, so any discussion of the death rate from the initial trial is not proof of anything. https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavirus/2021/08/no-more-vaccinated-people-didnt-die-from-covid-in-pfizers-vaccine-trial.html
There has been a ton of research after the initial trial. I have read a number of papers that support the safety and efficacy of the vaccines.
I saw one study that indicated that 1 out of a million people might die from the vaccine, usually people with comorbidities. This is roughly the same risk of death every time you get in a car. However, the disease has killed 1 out of 92 infected people in the United States, usually people with comorbidities. Young healthy people have also died from COVID. Nobody claims that the vaccine is perfectly safe, or effective, but the relative risk is much lower. One out of every 285 Americans has died from COVID. I lost a cousin to COVID.
The efficacy of the vaccine has changed as the disease has evolved. Because of this, many people claim that the government lied to us about the efficacy of the vaccine. Although the vaccine is now less effective at preventing the disease, the data shows that it is still 97% effective at preventing hospitalization and death.
2. It is not true that the vaccine is untested.
3. The vaccine was not tested for stopping the spread of the virus.
Although initially true, there wasn't time before the Emergency Use Authorization to determine whether the vaccine stopped the spread of the virus. Most commentators take this to mean that it doesn't. However, I have read more recent scientific studies that show that vaccinated people are much less likely to spread the disease.
If a member of your family has COVID, wouldn't you prefer that they be vaccinated? According to at least one study, the vaccinated are less likely to spread the disease to a family member.
4. The article claims that the vaccine mRNA might not be eliminated inside the body, without offering any proof, further making the unsupported claim that this could harm our health.
It is a well-known medical fact that mRNA is destroyed in less than a second after it is used. Your body is making and disposing of mRNA every microsecond.
Even if some of the vaccine mRNA stays around, there is no vehicle for the mRNA to enter other cells. The vaccine needs a lipid delivery mechanism to work. Once the mRNA enters the cell, it loses this mechanism.
5. The article claims that there are no long-term vaccine risk studies.
This is most likely true, although it depends upon what you mean by long-term. There have been more studies on the COVID disease and vaccination than any other disease.
"no long-term side effects have been detected. "
https://portal.ct.gov/vaccine-portal/Vaccine-Knowledge-Base/Articles/Long-Term-Effects?language=en_US
However, the long-term effects of the COVID disease have been severe, with about 11% of the infected getting "long covid". This can be life-threatening or completely debilitating.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpjGLLbWZJ0
6. The article claims that the government violated people's civil liberties and engaged in censorship, and this is a good reason to not get vaccinated.
The first part of this statement is true, but it would be like saying that because you live in communist China you should not get vaccinated. The efficacy and safety of the vaccine is a completely different issue from the oppressive nature of governments.
Tuesday, May 2, 2023
"We're Not Mad, Just Disappointed"
John Coffey
1 second ago
1 second ago
To a bear, everything looks like food, including you.
Monday, May 1, 2023
Thursday, April 27, 2023
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Friday, April 21, 2023
Tuesday, April 18, 2023
Friday, April 14, 2023
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
A case of fatal multi-organ inflammation following COVID-19 vaccination - PMC
"1. Introduction
2.4. Diagnosis
A diagnosis of vaccine-related multiple-organ inflammation was made based on the absence of bacterial or viral infection, lack of a past medical history suggestive of autoimmune disease, no allergic reaction, and no drug exposure other than the vaccine. Myopericarditis is a form of multiple-organ inflammation. Although pneumonia is involved, pneumonia alone is rarely a cause of sudden death, and the presence of erythrocyte-laden macrophages as well as congestive edema of the lungs on histology suggested signs of heart failure
3.1. Death after COVID-19 vaccination:
Vaccine development and its widespread application are key elements in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccine is now used worldwide and has contributed to the containment of the pandemic. However, adverse events caused by vaccines have been a problem. A forensic examination for the evaluation of the association between vaccination and death was conducted in cases of post-vaccination deaths [1], [2], [4]. The majority of these cases were negatively associated with vaccination; however, anaphylaxis, vaccine-induced immunothrombotic thrombocytopenia, myocarditis, and pericarditis have all been listed as having a suspected association with vaccination and vaccination-related death [2], [4]. Murata et al. also reported four cases of death after vaccination, in which the only autopsy findings were organ congestion with no evidence of myocarditis. RNA analysis of the blood showed that neutrophil degranulation and cytokine signaling were upregulated in the control group, which led them to conclude that the deaths were due to cytokine storm
3.2. Myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination
Reports of myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination have increased since the report by Albert et al. [6]. The frequency of occurrence of myocarditis and pericarditis has been reported in a US military survey including 23 cases of myocarditis/2,800,000 persons with a mean age of 25 years, all males, and no deaths [7]. A total of 40 U.S. hospitals reported 20 cases/2,000,287 with myocarditis and 37 cases/2,000,287 with pericarditis; both groups showed male predilection, mean age of onset of 36 years for myocarditis and 59 years for pericarditis, and no deaths in either group [8]. The Nordic cohort study reported that myocarditis occurred in 1,077/23,122,522 patients and pericarditis in 1,149/23,122,522 patients; both were more common in young men aged 16–24 years and most commonly occurred after the second vaccination [9]. Thus, post-vaccination myocarditis and pericarditis had incidence rates of 0.0008–0.0047% and 0.0019–0.0050%, respectively. Although usually mild, these conditions can occur; however, severe cases resulting in death are rare. As of September 2022, the number of COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Japan was approximately 103 million for the second dose and 82 million for the third dose [10]. Based on the above report, at least 800 cases of myocarditis and approximately 1,500 cases of pericarditis occurred after vaccination in Japan. Since the incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis is reported to be higher with second dose of the vaccine than with first dose [11], third dose of the vaccine are likely to further increase the frequency of occurrence of the disease.
The mechanism by which the COVID-19 vaccine causes myocarditis and pericarditis is unclear; however, several hypotheses have been proposed. The mRNA vaccine results in modifications to the nucleoside to reduce its antigenicity. In some individuals, mRNA is recognized as an antigen, resulting in the activation of the inflammatory cascades and immune pathways; in such cases, myocarditis occurs as part of a systemic inflammatory response"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10027302/
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are available worldwide. Since their introduction, post-vaccination deaths have been reported, and their association with the vaccine has been forensically examined [1], [2]. Post-vaccination myocarditis and pericarditis have been increasingly reported, with male adolescents reported to have a higher incidence of pericarditis with a good prognosis, while middle-aged and older patients are more likely to have severe myocarditis. In this study, we report an autopsy case of a 14-year-old girl who died unexpectedly 2 days after receiving the third dose of BNT1262b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.
2.4. Diagnosis
A diagnosis of vaccine-related multiple-organ inflammation was made based on the absence of bacterial or viral infection, lack of a past medical history suggestive of autoimmune disease, no allergic reaction, and no drug exposure other than the vaccine. Myopericarditis is a form of multiple-organ inflammation. Although pneumonia is involved, pneumonia alone is rarely a cause of sudden death, and the presence of erythrocyte-laden macrophages as well as congestive edema of the lungs on histology suggested signs of heart failure
3.1. Death after COVID-19 vaccination:
Vaccine development and its widespread application are key elements in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 vaccine is now used worldwide and has contributed to the containment of the pandemic. However, adverse events caused by vaccines have been a problem. A forensic examination for the evaluation of the association between vaccination and death was conducted in cases of post-vaccination deaths [1], [2], [4]. The majority of these cases were negatively associated with vaccination; however, anaphylaxis, vaccine-induced immunothrombotic thrombocytopenia, myocarditis, and pericarditis have all been listed as having a suspected association with vaccination and vaccination-related death [2], [4]. Murata et al. also reported four cases of death after vaccination, in which the only autopsy findings were organ congestion with no evidence of myocarditis. RNA analysis of the blood showed that neutrophil degranulation and cytokine signaling were upregulated in the control group, which led them to conclude that the deaths were due to cytokine storm
3.2. Myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination
Reports of myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID-19 vaccination have increased since the report by Albert et al. [6]. The frequency of occurrence of myocarditis and pericarditis has been reported in a US military survey including 23 cases of myocarditis/2,800,000 persons with a mean age of 25 years, all males, and no deaths [7]. A total of 40 U.S. hospitals reported 20 cases/2,000,287 with myocarditis and 37 cases/2,000,287 with pericarditis; both groups showed male predilection, mean age of onset of 36 years for myocarditis and 59 years for pericarditis, and no deaths in either group [8]. The Nordic cohort study reported that myocarditis occurred in 1,077/23,122,522 patients and pericarditis in 1,149/23,122,522 patients; both were more common in young men aged 16–24 years and most commonly occurred after the second vaccination [9]. Thus, post-vaccination myocarditis and pericarditis had incidence rates of 0.0008–0.0047% and 0.0019–0.0050%, respectively. Although usually mild, these conditions can occur; however, severe cases resulting in death are rare. As of September 2022, the number of COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Japan was approximately 103 million for the second dose and 82 million for the third dose [10]. Based on the above report, at least 800 cases of myocarditis and approximately 1,500 cases of pericarditis occurred after vaccination in Japan. Since the incidence of myocarditis and pericarditis is reported to be higher with second dose of the vaccine than with first dose [11], third dose of the vaccine are likely to further increase the frequency of occurrence of the disease.
The mechanism by which the COVID-19 vaccine causes myocarditis and pericarditis is unclear; however, several hypotheses have been proposed. The mRNA vaccine results in modifications to the nucleoside to reduce its antigenicity. In some individuals, mRNA is recognized as an antigen, resulting in the activation of the inflammatory cascades and immune pathways; in such cases, myocarditis occurs as part of a systemic inflammatory response"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10027302/
The numbers show a fairly low risk of side effects from the vaccine, with death being rare. The vaccine is not without risk, but based on what I have read, the disease is about a thousand times more likely to cause the same problems. In the risk versus benefit analysis, you are better off with the vaccine.
However, the pandemic is almost over. I don't know what will happen if people stop getting vaccinated, but given the small risk from vaccination, many people may choose not to get it.
Ether/Or — The story of black holes, and how I temporarily lost my mind over an Amazon review
This is a very good summary of all of modern science with some humor thrown in.
Tuesday, April 11, 2023
Monday, April 10, 2023
Sunday, April 9, 2023
Saturday, April 8, 2023
Friday, April 7, 2023
Thursday, April 6, 2023
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
Tuesday, April 4, 2023
Drone video shows tornado damage in Whiteland, Indiana
I drove through Whiteland yesterday and did not see this damage. I was just on Highway 31. I checked out my old house to see if it was still standing, which it was.
The path of the tornado is listed below in the section that says "Near Whiteland ..."
The main east-west road on the map is Whiteland Road which connects to the interstate. I used to drive it all the time, as well as Highway 31.
The path in Russiavile came very close to my sister's house. Her neighbor's house about half a mile away was destroyed.
Friday, March 31, 2023
Tuesday, March 28, 2023
Sunday, March 26, 2023
Saturday, March 25, 2023
Irrational humans
I would have thought that a deadly pandemic would have united the human race to a common cause to defeat an enemy killing so many people. However, instead of the pandemic joining us, it divided us even further.
The evidence shows that the vaccine reduces your overall chances of dying by a considerable amount. Nevertheless, I daily see attacks on the vaccine as if it were some sort of plague. People have a right to make poor choices, but the amount of misinformation is vast, which affects people's ability to make decisions.
If COVID had a smallpox death rate then I don't think there would be any argument. Everybody would be lining up for the vaccine, regardless of any potential side effects. However, a death rate of 1% (or less) is still pretty significant if you or a loved one is the one who dies.
This has caused me to reflect on why humans are so irrational. I am seeing what I think is a common factor in how people make decisions. This ties into politics. I have long noticed people are much more intense about the things that they are opposed to. I am calling this the "boogeyman factor." The thinking is that those people over there are going to do something that we don't like so we are going to fight them no matter what. People naturally focus more on adverse outcomes because fear is the most powerful motivator. On the other hand, if you are a happy person who has few worries, which is almost no one, then you might not have much need for politics.
In our current era, we have become very tribal, with no middle ground or nuance. Ask anyone, regardless of party, about politics and they will name at least one evil person that needs to be defeated. It is human nature to need an enemy that we can fight, and in recent years we will vilify just about anyone.
When it comes to the vaccine there are quite a few "boogeymen", whether that be Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, "big pharma", or the government. There are a great many people who are thoroughly convinced that evil forces are trying to hurt us, by one means or another, so they are unwilling even to consider the vaccine because it comes from an evil source.
Once people make up their minds, confirmation bias becomes very strong. They will look only at evidence that supports their position while ignoring evidence to the contrary.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
The evidence shows that the vaccine reduces your overall chances of dying by a considerable amount. Nevertheless, I daily see attacks on the vaccine as if it were some sort of plague. People have a right to make poor choices, but the amount of misinformation is vast, which affects people's ability to make decisions.
If COVID had a smallpox death rate then I don't think there would be any argument. Everybody would be lining up for the vaccine, regardless of any potential side effects. However, a death rate of 1% (or less) is still pretty significant if you or a loved one is the one who dies.
This has caused me to reflect on why humans are so irrational. I am seeing what I think is a common factor in how people make decisions. This ties into politics. I have long noticed people are much more intense about the things that they are opposed to. I am calling this the "boogeyman factor." The thinking is that those people over there are going to do something that we don't like so we are going to fight them no matter what. People naturally focus more on adverse outcomes because fear is the most powerful motivator. On the other hand, if you are a happy person who has few worries, which is almost no one, then you might not have much need for politics.
In our current era, we have become very tribal, with no middle ground or nuance. Ask anyone, regardless of party, about politics and they will name at least one evil person that needs to be defeated. It is human nature to need an enemy that we can fight, and in recent years we will vilify just about anyone.
When it comes to the vaccine there are quite a few "boogeymen", whether that be Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Anthony Fauci, Bill Gates, "big pharma", or the government. There are a great many people who are thoroughly convinced that evil forces are trying to hurt us, by one means or another, so they are unwilling even to consider the vaccine because it comes from an evil source.
Once people make up their minds, confirmation bias becomes very strong. They will look only at evidence that supports their position while ignoring evidence to the contrary.
--
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Perspective
Sometimes it is nice to have perspective. Our Milky Way Galaxy is 105,000 light-years (617 quadrillion miles) across.
This is an artist's rendering based on astronomical data. It is difficult to see everything because interstellar dust gets in the way. We used to think that our solar system was closer to the edge than it actually is. This was revised a few years ago.
I wondered why there are spiral arms. All the stars in the spiral arms should be moving at different speeds depending upon their distance from the center, so you would not expect them to clump together into a structure. The technical explanation as to why this happens is quite complicated, and there are multiple reasons for it. The Milky Way is so big that it has smaller galaxies orbiting around it, and their gravitational influence is part of the reason that the arms form.
In about 2.5 billion years, the Milky Way Galaxy will begin to collide with the bigger Andromeda Galaxy. Eventually, the two galaxies will merge into a larger galaxy.
Sunday, March 19, 2023
Thursday, March 16, 2023
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
COVID Numbers are down
The COVID numbers were somewhat steady for months, but have turned downward. We have gone from about 500 deaths per day, which seemed significant to me, to only about a hundred.
I was at the Columbus, Indiana hospital yesterday when they dropped their mask mandate.
Does this mean the Pandemic is over? Not for some people, but the rate of the disease doesn't seem very threatening right now.
This is not what I thought would happen. COVID is very good at both spreading and mutating, and given the number of people who aren't fully vaccinated, I thought that we would be dealing with this for many years.
I used to watch "Physics Girl" on Youtube. Her Long COVID has become so severe that it has become life-threatening. This is from an infection that she had eight months ago.
Sunday, March 5, 2023
Saturday, March 4, 2023
Faraday Cage Physics EXPLAINED using 1843 Ice Pail Experiment and History
This topic interests me because I wonder what we would need to protect ourselves from an EMP attack.
Wednesday, March 1, 2023
Cassowary | The World's Most Dangerous Bird #shorts
https://youtube.com/shorts/UsKKEq1q_vM?feature=share
Experts say that theropod dinosaurs aren't extinct, they evolved into birds. Some theropods like T-Rex likely had feathers, which originally evolved for insulation, and likely were multicolored. Many of these theropod dinosaurs more closely resembled birds than they did giant lizards.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Experts say that theropod dinosaurs aren't extinct, they evolved into birds. Some theropods like T-Rex likely had feathers, which originally evolved for insulation, and likely were multicolored. Many of these theropod dinosaurs more closely resembled birds than they did giant lizards.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Sunday, February 26, 2023
Saturday, February 25, 2023
Friday, February 24, 2023
Vaccines prevent COVID-19 spread
A sore spot for me is the claim made by every single conservative talk show host that the vaccines do not stop the spread of COVID-19 and that we were lied to when the government said that they would. This claim is based on testimony by Janine Small to the European Union who said that they did not have time in their initial testing to determine if the vaccines stop the spread of the disease. However, those studies have since been done. I have found studies showing that the vaccines reduce the spread of COVID-19. It also makes sense that if you reduce infection then you also reduce spread. This logic is almost irrefutable, so it would be perfectly proper for the government to make this claim.
Thursday, February 23, 2023
Dianna Cowern Physics Girl
This is popular Youtuber, Physics Girl, Dianna Cowern
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sOhdQNjmK_U
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/sOhdQNjmK_U
Reportedly, she has been suffering from "Long COVID" since July. She has made this public.
Things got worse and she went to the ER last week.
She is clearly suffering because of this. I have long believed that COVID is something that we should take seriously. It is not an ordinary disease. It is not just the cold or a bad flu.
I looked to see if there is an update on her condition. Nothing yet.
Wednesday, February 22, 2023
ChatGPT Generated Fictional Podcast with A.I Joe Rogan & Jordan Peterson
Once again we get an AI generated script and computer generated voices.
https://youtu.be/sVThCuT8j0A
Is this what the future holds? We might be watching our favorite actors, some long dead, simulated, with a never ending stream of AI created content. You could have Tom Hanks on TV 24/7, and the shows never repeat.
"In the next hour, Tom Hanks, Jimmy Stewart, and Charlie Chaplain take their air car on a grand tour of New Detroit. "
Best wishes,
John Coffey
https://youtu.be/sVThCuT8j0A
Is this what the future holds? We might be watching our favorite actors, some long dead, simulated, with a never ending stream of AI created content. You could have Tom Hanks on TV 24/7, and the shows never repeat.
"In the next hour, Tom Hanks, Jimmy Stewart, and Charlie Chaplain take their air car on a grand tour of New Detroit. "
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Saturday, February 18, 2023
Friday, February 17, 2023
Why Honey Badgers Don't Fear God or Lions
Many people have a naive view of wild animals. They are not pets and will try to hurt you if they can. To most animals, you look like food.
Even most herbivores will kill and eat small animals if given the chance.
Thursday, February 16, 2023
Brain injury after vaccination
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZhzWzoPB3M
John Coffey 0 seconds ago:
It is not clear to me that the vaccine causes an excess number of these cases. There is an assumed causality that is not proven.
The U.S. Government statistics show a much lower overall death rate among the vaccinated.
The quoted study concludes with ...
"Neurological manifestations following the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination have been reported, and although they are few in number, healthcare professionals should be alert to their presentation as a high vigilance and rapid response to these events are the need of the hour. Further investigations are required to establish a definitive causal association with the currently recommended vaccines. Until then, the benefit of protection against COVID-19 for both individuals and society is far greater than the hypothesized risk of these adverse events."
John Coffey 0 seconds ago:
It is not clear to me that the vaccine causes an excess number of these cases. There is an assumed causality that is not proven.
The U.S. Government statistics show a much lower overall death rate among the vaccinated.
The quoted study concludes with ...
"Neurological manifestations following the SARS-CoV-2 vaccination have been reported, and although they are few in number, healthcare professionals should be alert to their presentation as a high vigilance and rapid response to these events are the need of the hour. Further investigations are required to establish a definitive causal association with the currently recommended vaccines. Until then, the benefit of protection against COVID-19 for both individuals and society is far greater than the hypothesized risk of these adverse events."
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Monday, February 13, 2023
Sunday, February 12, 2023
Saturday, February 11, 2023
Friday, February 10, 2023
Yes, masks reduce the risk of spreading COVID, despite a review saying they don't
An updated Cochrane Review published last week is the latest to suggest face masks don't work in the community.
However there are problems with the review's methodology and its underpinning assumptions about transmission.
An RCT comparing occasional versus continuous use of respirators in health care workers showed N95 respirators and surgical masks were equally ineffective when only worn occasionally by hospital workers. They had to wear them all the time at work to be protected.
We also combined only apples and apples in a meta-analysis of two RCTs conducted in exactly the same way and measuring the same interventions and outcomes. We found N95 respirators provide significant protection against respiratory infections when surgical masks did not, even against infections assumed to be "droplet spread".
https://theconversation.com/yes-masks-reduce-the-risk-of-spreading-covid-despite-a-review-saying-they-dont-198992
However there are problems with the review's methodology and its underpinning assumptions about transmission.
An RCT comparing occasional versus continuous use of respirators in health care workers showed N95 respirators and surgical masks were equally ineffective when only worn occasionally by hospital workers. They had to wear them all the time at work to be protected.
We also combined only apples and apples in a meta-analysis of two RCTs conducted in exactly the same way and measuring the same interventions and outcomes. We found N95 respirators provide significant protection against respiratory infections when surgical masks did not, even against infections assumed to be "droplet spread".
https://theconversation.com/yes-masks-reduce-the-risk-of-spreading-covid-despite-a-review-saying-they-dont-198992
Thursday, February 9, 2023
Wednesday, February 8, 2023
Tuesday, February 7, 2023
Monday, February 6, 2023
Animal Secrets Zoos Don’t Want You To Know
https://youtu.be/nvika2cFiq0
I've been saying this for awhile, people need to stop being stupid around animals.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
I've been saying this for awhile, people need to stop being stupid around animals.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
Saturday, February 4, 2023
Dopamine: More Than Pleasure, The Secret is the Anticipation of a Reward - LiveInnovation.org
"The reason for it is because the uncertainty of receiving the reward creates a much greater expectation and therefore dopamine production."
Speaking on a personal level, I seem to get addicted to some things easily.
When I was in college 40 years ago, I noticed something about playing table tennis. After I hit the ball I had a high level of anticipation about what was going to happen next, which was only a couple of seconds away, but unknown until it actually happened. I realized then that this high level of anticipation made the game addicting. Pinball seems to work the same way.
Maybe one reason why there is still a cult following for the 42-year-old video game Donkey Kong, which I still like to play, is that it has a great deal of randomness built into the game. There is no set predictable pattern that you can follow. Parts of the game are predictable, but frequently you have to react within a couple of seconds to an ever-changing circumstance. The game can be an intense experience.
I think that there could be a similar appeal to gambling because the gambler is anticipating an unknown outcome.
On the surface, this would seem unrelated to watching a ton of youtube videos, which has been a problem for me lately. Youtube has a bunch of interesting content, but even before you finish one video, they are recommending other content that you might like. I have a natural tendency to be curious about everything, so I want to see what this other content has to offer. There is anticipation there. It is like they know how to keep me hooked.
TikTok has admitted that they use an algorithm to keep people addicted. The way it works is that they show you a list of videos with the best videos interspersed along the list The idea is to keep you scrolling looking for the best videos. Maybe TikTok is evil.
Social media creates anticipation of positive feedback from other people.
Perhaps if a person is aware of how they are being manipulated on a psychological/neurotransmitter level, then maybe they can change their behavior by not falling for this trap.
I Misunderstood the Greenhouse Effect. Here's How It Works.
I thought that actual Greenhouses prevent convection, which is different than CO2 which absorbs and re-emits infrared photons.
I heard that convection is an important part of how our atmosphere loses heat.
I also had heard that the infrared photon knocks an electron to a higher orbital, and then 3 nanoseconds later the electron falls back down to the lower orbital and re-emits an infrared photon. The net effect is to scatter the photons in a random direction since quantum physics acts somewhat randomly.
Photons are force-carrying particles. They carry electromagnetic force. In order for the temperature to increase, there would have to be a gain of kinetic energy because heat is the motion of molecules. Does the vibration of the molecule convert electromagnetic force to kinetic energy? So I am wondering what percentage of the infrared photons gets converted to kinetic energy, and what percentage gets re-emitted?
Friday, February 3, 2023
COVID vaccines slash risk of spreading Omicron — and so does previous infection
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgrMzvasrm8&t=1100s
"Decreases in transmission of the delta variant were greater after two BNT162b2 vaccinations"
"The team found that among individuals with COVID-19, those who received at least one vaccine shot were 24% less likely to infect close contacts"
"This study confirms that COVID-19 vaccination reduces the risk of delta variant infection and also accelerates viral clearance in the context of the delta variant. However, this study unfortunately also highlights that the vaccine effect on reducing transmission is minimal in the context of delta variant circulation. These findings have immediate public health implications. Higher vaccination coverage rates need to be achieved because indirect protection from vaccinated to unvaccinated people remains suboptimal."
"Pfizer vax did reduce transmission of early variants"
"Researchers in the United Kingdom reported in a February observational study that Pfizer's vaccine helped cut transmission of the alpha and delta variants."
"Fact check: Vaccines protect against contracting, spreading COVID-19"
"Scientific studies show that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine reduces transmission"
"However, when booster vaccine doses reduce the risk of infection (as shown in the study by Spitzer et al2), then these boosters will also prevent transmission. As with all infectious diseases, the pathogen is required to cause the disease, and SARS-CoV-2 infection is the sine qua non for COVID-19. Prevention of infection results in prevention of potential onward transmission from all individuals who are spared the infection."
"New research suggests COVID-19 vaccines can slow the spread of disease, even with Omicron"
"Early data suggest infections in fully vaccinated persons are more commonly observed with the Delta variant than with other SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, data show fully vaccinated persons are less likely than unvaccinated persons to acquire SARS-CoV-2, and infections with the Delta variant in fully vaccinated persons are associated with less severe clinical outcomes. Infections with the Delta variant in vaccinated persons potentially have reduced transmissibility than infections in unvaccinated persons, although additional studies are needed."
"Instead, it's the principle that the UKHSA identified above: if you don't get infected in the first place thanks to a vaccine, you can't spread it. Once you're infected, you still can"
Thursday, February 2, 2023
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Significant Events
Until recently, the most significant thing to happen in my lifetime was 9-11. It had a profound effect on this country and its foreign policy, and it also had a profound effect on me because I went to work for a defense contractor. It also temporarily brought Americans together to fight a common enemy.
In terms of the number of people affected, 9-11 is small potatoes compared to the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been 675 million cases worldwide, with 6.76 million deaths. In the United States, there have been 104 million cases with 1.1 million deaths. Roughly 1 out of every 300 Americans has been killed by COVID-19. However, when it comes to fighting the disease, this common enemy did not bring us together but made us more divided.
Perhaps the most important thing in the world right now is that we don't get into a nuclear war with Russia or China or any other potential adversary. Since this is not likely to happen, I'm not too worried about it.
So the second most important thing in the world is how we handle the COVID-19 pandemic both personally and in terms of public policy. The actions we take could save or cost lives.
Most people today see the pandemic in the rearview mirror. The public seems very lax. People stopped wearing masks. President Biden has declared May 11th the end of the COVID emergency. However, I think that it could be naive to think that COVID is over. We currently have around 500 deaths per day. New mutations keep popping up and some of these might not be so bad, but there is always the potential for a new deadly strain to arise. The XBB 1.5 variant is so infectious there is a possibility that everyone will get it, and it has killed 1,600 New Yorkers since December 1st.
I suspect that we will be fighting COVID for the rest of our lives.
Almost nobody has time to read scientific literature. This is one reason we pay politicians to make policy so that we don't have to sort through all the details ourselves. And most people are fine with that. However, only 68% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, with around 21% having never been vaccinated.
I am personally angry with the anti-vax crowd because they seem to only think about themselves. There are some very small risks associated with the vaccines, so many people assume that if they are young and healthy that they are better off not getting vaccinated. These assumptions may not be correct, since many young healthy people also have died from COVID-19. However, the reason for my consternation is that the anti-vax crowd seems to not care at all about people like my elderly mother whose health issues would make her extremely vulnerable to COVID. If a person chooses not to be vaccinated, then they are choosing to likely spread COVID to someone else, because the R factor of the Omicron variant is 3.4. In the past, anything with an R factor of 1 or higher was considered serious.
I like to say that the anti-vax crowd cherry-picks their data, but that is being generous. For the most part, they don't look at data. They see statements on social media, Youtube, and fringe conspiracy-theory websites made by very questionable people, and they believe in some of the most absurd positions as if they were gospel. I have spent 2 years fighting vaccine misinformation on the Internet, but I give up because apparently, you can't reason with irrational people.
I see claims every day that I know have been debunked by at least one scientific study. The most recent one is that the mRNA vaccines don't stop the spread of the disease. There are studies that say otherwise.
Some commentators who I would normally respect think that the government has been lying to us this whole time. They are calling for the prosecution of government officials for their "COVID lies".
What the data currently shows is that there is much lower overall mortality for people who have been vaccinated. There is a small health risk with the vaccines, but COVID-19 is no ordinary disease. It attacks every organ in the body. The health complications from COVID are far more dangerous than the vaccines.
Best wishes,
John Coffey
John Coffey
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