The Michael Shermer Show Thinking Critically About COVID: Conspiracies vs. Nuance and Facts (Jay Bhattacharya)
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Jul 13, 2024 
Guest Jay Bhattacharya and Michael Shermer discuss loss of trust in medical institutions, effectiveness of lockdowns and masks, COVID-19 Lab Leak vs. Zoonomic hypothesis, hydroxychloroquine & ivermectin, anti-vaxxers, RFK, Jr., myocarditis, mRNA vaccines, economic impact, and global responses to the pandemic.
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Hubris Undermines Public Trust
- Long-tenured public-health leaders can develop hubris and resist critique, which harms science and policy.
- Jay Bhattacharya argues humility and admitting uncertainty would have preserved public trust.
Be Transparent About Uncertainty
- Tell the public what is known and what is unknown instead of simplifying away nuance.
- Bhattacharya advises honest communication to avoid loss of trust and fringe information spread.
Origins Debate Tied To Research Interests
- The lab-leak hypothesis was suppressed partly because it threatened reputations and funded research agendas.
- Bhattacharya connects resistance to origins inquiry with prior debates on risky pathogen research.