You are what you read
I’m not saying anything too revelatory by pointing out that newspapers are echo chambers that reflect the prejudices of their readers while blocking out facts that don’t fit their world view.
That’s always been true of the political pages. But I’ve been surprised by the extent to which it has also turned out to be true of the natural sciences over the past 12 months.
Take the example of the British variant (or the English variant, if you’re Scottish; or B.1.1.1.7 if you’re above causing offence).
Readers of the right-wing Die Welt newspaper on Thursday were given an interview with Swiss physicist Frank Scheffold, who claimed that there is no proof beyond some flimsy modelling that the British bug is any more aggressive than the out-dated strain it’s overtaking.
“Our English colleagues derived its increased infectivity from the strong increase in cases in Great Britain and then converted this ass…
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