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I found this article to be quite good, cheered me up immensely, and did a charming job of setting some ground rules. It is called “A Pandemic of Ignorance” Written by Robert E. Wright at the American Institute for Economic Research.

I realize we aren’t actually using “rules” anymore, but just the same I feel somewhat comforted by the fact that they did once exist, they once provided some framework, applied some basic common sense and order to our often chaotic world. Please allow me a moment of silence to grieve the loss of “rules.”

Rule number one is, “#1: Doing nothing is (often) better than doing something.” Amen. You can apply this rule to many areas of life. We don’t like it much, since we much prefer to be doers who make stuff happen, but seriously, we often fail to understand the wisdom behind, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. “First do no harm” is a really valid moral principle, especially in medicine.

I need to confess I am actually deeply disappointed in a number of biologists whom I hold near and dear. This is after all, a biology blog, although I certainly do divert all over the place and into politics, culture and faith. Biology has actually gotten somewhat painful on account of the fact that I am feeling so betrayed, so let down, and also a wee bit scared by what I have been seeing out in the big world.

When politicians told us we needed to rub a filthy rag full of germs directly into our mucus membranes 24/7 in order to “protect” ourselves, I thought, it’s all good, science will prevail, my biologists will speak up at any moment. This is not really rocket science, but more like middle school biology, basic germ theory, such a well established truth that I actually completed a silly little course on the dangers of cross contamination from masking and gloves, right before the pandemic hit.

It has never not been known that inhaling our own carbon dioxide while rubbing our faces with a warm, moist rag is not a healthy activity. In case anyone has forgotten, most bugs just love a warm, moist environment full of stagnant air. It’s like, please strap this petri dish across your face and suck in air twice as hard. Alas, numerous biologists whom I once respected threw out all the old rules and did exactly that.

Some were bold and truthful, some spoke up, none that I know of personally and the were all promptly censored, but there really is a vast array of biologists, doctors, scientists who all did exactly as I did and went, Say wut??? While that is somewhat reassuring, at least I know I am not totally insane, the damage is already done.

Which brings me to our word of the day, “homeostasis,” which in this context means, “the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.” Trust in the process. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Let nature run it’s course. Let the cards fall where they may. We are wonderfully and fearfully made. In faith we would say, “let go and let God.” Be assured that there are invisible forces at work that you can’t see, and by design, they will always come together and work for your good. That’s not only faith, it’s science.

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