I did not write this, but I agree:Is it ‘trust the science’ or ‘trust the scientists’? The two are not the same.

Here are a few things that–at one point–virtually all scientists agreed on:

• The earth is the center of the universe
  
• The world is flat.
  
• The treatment for epilepsy required the ritualistic sacrifice of a goat
  

While we know these statements to be absurd today, there was a time when questioning these certainties would have you labeled everything from a hack to a heretic. Despite this, a small number of smart people looked at the facts, exercised critical thinking, tested the hypothesis and ultimately rewrote what was once known to be true.

Science never fails. Scientists fail constantly. And that’s the idea of it all. That’s how it’s supposed to work while on the journey to find the unfailing truths of science. As such, real science demands skepticism and should be critical of conformity to an idea without comprehensive evidence. But, ‘ya know, 2020 and all…

Today, anyone questioning certain public health officials or government leaders is to be ridiculed, criticized, and even censored because they are dangerous to the environment. If you’re concerned the data tells a different story than the approved message, your dangerous ideological misgivings and disinformation could influence others to take actions that kill people. There is a system of subject matter experts that have the right plan and questioning by the citizenry, press or even other scientists cannot be accepted because any of those people are not the right scientists or intelligentsia to address the matters at hand.

The deaths don’t align with scary case narrative? “You’re wrong, just wait two weeks.” It’s been two weeks? “You’re forgetting about Long COVID.” Long COVID symptoms are just as common with the Flu or other respiratory diseases? “No it’s worse this time., here’s an emotional story of the 3 people that… You have to trust that we’re the experts and you are not.”

Any scientist not open to alternative scientific views, is not a scientist at all and the efforts to dismiss reasonable, rational, and data-driven skepticism at all cost is not science. Concerns of logic and reason are often NOT met genuine scientific insight and data but with emotional stories and anecdotal responses. It’s a plea to trust not the science, but a select group of scientists that must be above reproach even when their data is far from certain or incomplete. Compliance with their directives are all that matters and to ensure compliance in the face of remarkably incomplete scientific rationale, they use fear.