Read This First, Heuristics (1), Glossary (A-H), Mini Lessons (3)
1. Daedalian Trash, 1.1. Contagious Protection, 2. Security Exit, 3. Drop In Medical Surge, 4. Fomite Ring, 5. Global Worst News, -5.1. April News, 6. HIV Narratives, 6.1. HIV Blood, 6.2. Imbalance. <ADDED >1. Cleaning Red Fish, >2. Climactic Birth, >3. Venezuelan Cascade, >4. Ocean Views, >5. Ebola, >6. Sondido del Silencio. 190331-VCP. 190331-Polemic.
Other Topics: Dominionism, BioPolitics, Vaccine, Biosphere, Disaster, Humor, Climate Change, Anthropocene, Anthropogenic, Communication, One Health, Environmental Change, Human Factors, Social Dimensions, Narratives, Ancient Climates, Brexit, Handshakes, Sea Level Rise, Real Estate, Fake News, History, Hemophilia, Social Collapse
-1. Ancient Trash Mounds Suggest Climate Change Could Have Hastened Fall of Part of Byzantine Empire, Ancient Trash Mounds from Byzantine Empire Reveal How Disease and Climate Change Ravaged Ancient Civilization. I am a bit dubious about interpretation of the archaeological record of the fall of civilizations being due in part from changes in the environment. Tends to reflect the a priori narrative of the Fall of Civilization. At the same time as data accumulated this is starting to be persuasive. The End of Eden$. 190106-2.1, <ADDED 181021-180513-1.1>9, <ADDED 180909-180902-2.2>, 180722-11, 180429-6, <ADDED 180408-160320-13>10, 180422-2 -‡.
-1.1. Ersatz illness has been used for satire, propaganda, malingering, avoiding political confrontations, and as the rationale for moral panic, has been used throughout history. K Syndrome, the Disease that Saved, illustrates another use of fake disease. In one Italian hospital, an invented disease helped save hundreds from the occupying Nazis. [Cartoon, Cartoon].
-2. Brexit Threatens Biosecurity – from Data to Strategy. Biosecurity is likely to be seriously compromised by the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union. Common rules and safeguards, backed by a common judicial system, have for decades protected human, animal and plant health against biological hazards. Even so, ash dieback still threatens 60 million UK trees, and African swine fever has spread to Europe. Flu Vaccine Could Be Airlifted into UK if other transport routes are disrupted after the country leaves the EU. 190331-VCP-USA. Breaking the Deadlock over Brexit: Is Britain Heading for a General Election, Brexit Forever.
-Quote: This fortress built by Nature for herself, against infection and the hand of war. – William Shakespeare/ John of Gaunt, Richard II, [Panel, Oliver]. This is part of the larger question, is Britain: Apart from or a Part of Europe, Fog in Channel, Historians Isolated.
-3. Is it Time to Rethink the Fly in Medical Mission. Good training, but does it really help the patients. Could it be a model for medical surges in areas without medical infrastructure. When Medical Workers Behave Badly During Disease Outbreaks, Everyone Suffers.
-4. Pope Francis Explains Why He Wouldn't Let Worshippers Kiss His Ring in Viral Video, setting the record straight about why: for fear of spreading germs. After all he does have a masters degree in chemistry, and a disinfecting wipe after each kiss would double the time it takes to meet the pope, while disinfecting peoples hands to they can at least touch the ring may make people think he or they have a contagious disease (not to mention a bit insulting). I suspect the Ebola handshake will not be an acceptable alternative. To Kiss Pope's Hand - or Not - Enters the Catholic Culture Wars, Should You Kiss the Pope’s Ring. The Guardian View on Kissing the Pope’s Ring: The Power of Symbols. There is precedence to suspending religious practices to prevent spread of disease Churches Suspend Sign of Peace to Battle Flu, Church in Congo Suspends Sacraments During Ebola Outbreak, ola/" From Handshakes to Communion: Churches Take Preventive Steps Against Ebola, -180513-1.1↓. [Tweet, Cartoon, Photo, Photo]. Did Pope Francis Prevent People from Kissing His Ring, with so many fake videos of the pope, it can be difficult to tell which ones are real.
-5. Risk Communication Strategies for the Very Worst of Cases. In 2017-18, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security conducted a multiphase research project to help inform the development of a strategic approach for communicating about global catastrophic biological risks (GCBRs). In brief, we define a GCBR as a biological development that could adversely affect the human species as a whole or radically change the course of human civilization (what PDWN has names bio(sphere) calamity) – for instance, a severe pandemic involving a naturally occurring or deliberately engineered pathogen. GCBRs are an emerging concern among a discrete set of scientists and organizations located principally in Europe and the United States. To conceive and implement activities necessary to prevent or respond to biological threats of a global scale will require effective communication of the issue’s importance – internationally – to a range of people with knowledge, influence, and control of resources. Document. [Meme]. The Growth of Climate Change Misinformation in Us Philanthropy: Evidence from Natural Language Processing. The Green New Deal Debate Is in Part about the Absence of Details.
-5.1. April Fools Hoax Stories Could Offer Clues to Help Identify Fake News. Although not all of the features found in April Fools hoaxes were found to be useful for detecting fake news, there were a number of similar characteristics found across both ✓. ■ April fools hoax stories, when compared to genuine news: Are generally shorter in length ✓. Use more unique words. Use longer sentences. Are easier to read ✓. Refer to vague events in the future. Contain more references to the present. Are less interested in past events. Contain fewer proper nouns. Use more first person pronouns. ■ Fake news stories, when compared to genuine news: Are shorter in length ✓. Are easier to read ✓. Use simplistic language. Contain fewer punctuation marks. Contain more proper nouns. Are generally less formal – use more first names such as 'Hillary' and contain more profanity and spelling mistakes. Contain very few dates. Use more first person pronouns ✓.
-5.2. What Good Journalism Looks Like. Many journalists confuse the need to approach a topic with a fair and open mind with the piece itself being “balanced.” However, if the topic itself is asymmetrical, then this leads to a false balance. Rather, the piece should reflect reality, not an arbitrary conclusion that both sides are equal. | Another trap is to justify this false balance by saying – I’ll let the readers decide. This standard makes sense for a news piece, rather than an opinion piece, but is often misapplied. It’s OK to give information without drawing firm conclusions from that information, and let the reader draw their own conclusions. But this approach requires a lot of context. In science journalism, it’s better to let experts give their analysis. PDWN does let the reader decide, part of its intent is to be a vehicle to learn about collection, evaluation, analysis and synthesis of parademic information. This is not simply identifying erroneous information, recognizing gaps in information, how to question what is received and then verify, Poe’s Law, disinformation, belief as fact, this is to learn to evaluate in what way information is valid and how it links to other information. Likewise the appearance of information overload, anecdotes, analogies, tangents, contradictions, not writing with good closure, are all an attempt to practice these skills in a situation where information flow isn’t chronological -6↓, fragmented, a priori bias, credible, based on untested assumptions, logical fallacious, disinformation, firehosed, in the approved format, contains unfamiliar information and words, doesn’t answer all questions, and probably not fully edited for readability. BBC and False Balance Revisited. [Cartoon]. 190324-VCP-2USA-A, <ADDED 181118-180902-2.1>3, 180930-5. Naturopaths Use Deceptive Tactics to Support Pseudoscience.
-6. Narrative Navigation: HIV and (Good) Care in Aceh, Indonesia. The concept of narrative navigation is used to analyze the subjective and intersubjective ways in which people struggle through experiences of illness by constructing multiple, ambiguous and nonlinear narratives that may continuously change, as they reposition themselves within changing circumstances. Subjunctivity and open endedness are crucial narrative ways in which people living with HIV, their relatives, medical doctors and support group workers adjust to possibilities and limitations of care over time, thereby continuously negotiating what good care may be, and it unfolds within a changing Indonesian healthcare system. Spatial Navigation and Narrative Construction across Media -5.2↑. Narrative Practice and Identity Navigation. One weakness to this is that the concept of non linear thinking is not a well developed concept. For instance the various types on non linear narratives are not yet identified but would include: flashback, not following chronological sequence, unknown missing steps and information, intuitive leap, parallel story lines, fragmented story, medium and code switching, plot twist, dream or other imaginary sequence, inductive reasoning, chaos, manipulation, narrative negotiation, disrupted. This is unfortunate because human thought, problem solving and memory are largely nonlinear. -190324-6↓.
-6.1. Bad Blood. Good intentions, misinformation and fear contributed to haemophiliacs becoming the hidden victims of HIV in Ireland.
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-190324-6>1. Is Climate Change's Most Dreadful Impact Really Decades Away. The Trump administration’s position on climate change is evolving — from it being a “hoax” to it being a real problem 50-75 years out -6↑. That view runs counter to that of the Democrats, who want the federal government to take charge and to mitigate the potential damages – before it is too late. The 2020 election will decide the country’s direction on this issue. Actually it won’t, in 19 months the climate will be determining national directions. WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2018 [Chart]. Robust Abatement Pathways to Tolerable Climate Futures Require Immediate Global Action. EPA Reveals 37% of Water Waste Nationwide Caused by Husky Kids Doing Cannonball into Country Club Pool.
-A. Trump Contradicts His Own Budget Proposal, Tells Rally Crowd He'll Give More Money for Great Lakes Restoration, Trump Is Making Stuff up about the Great Lakes, for Some Weird Reason, In 2020 Move, Trump Reverses Cuts to Great Lakes Cleanup, Trump’s Great Lakes Whoppers, For Health and Habitat: Rescuing the Great Lakes.
-181223-1>2. <ADDED 190317>6. Birthstrikers Refuse to Reproduce Because of Climate Change. War, Famine and Drought: More Women Say They Won't Have Children Because of Climate Change. This could be the basis for a dystopian novel. In a dying world gubergenics move from forcing to have unwanted children, but now forcibly impregnate women. Wait, that sounds familiar [Art]. It's Either the Best Time or the Worst Time to Have a Baby. Sen. Mike Lee Says Solution to Climate Change 'Is to Fall in Love, Get Married and Have Some Kids', because climate change is an engineering challenge, it will be best solved through American families and increasing the US population. "Problems of human imagination are not solved by more laws, they're solved by more humans. More people mean bigger markets for more innovation. More babies mean forward looking adults, the sort we need to tackle long term, large scale problems"; Senate GOP Blocks Formation of Climate Change Committee, Have the Grown Ups Killed the Green New Deal. Congress' Climate Change Comedians. Pathological environmentalism, neo Marxism, HDTV, media dishonesty and marijuana have created a perfect storm of suicidal energy policy ideas. Climate change has become a false religion, and you cannot argue with religious zealots. Brainwashed Americans protest global warming during record cold and snow, even despite the unprecedented freezing of Niagara Falls two years in a row. There are no more storms than usual, only insignificant, natural fluctuation in storm activity.
-181209-4>3. <ADDED 190224>4. Blackout Hits Much of Venezuela, Including Caracas; Second in a Month, and this will fuel conspiracy theories of US cyberattacks and people will continue to suffer; Venezuela blames attack as another crippling blackout hits. As Venezuela’s Misery Grows, U.S. Focus Shifts to Cuba’s Role, which among other things means further justification of current US policy against Cuba as its Havana Syndrome claims falls apart, <ADDED 190317-180311-6>13. Venezuelans Search for Water as New Blackouts Hit Nationwide. International Red Cross Says it Will Channel Aid to Venezuela -2- -3-, Red Cross Granted Access to Deliver Aid in Venezuela$, Red Cross to Begin Humanitarian Aid Mission Inside Venezuela -2-.
-180715-4>4. <ADDED 190317>14. Adapting to Climate Change in Miami. Wall Street Is Masking the True Cost of Climate Change for Coastal Homes. Climate Change’s Impact on Real Estate Isn’t What You Think. Rising Seas Force 'Underwater Homeowners' to Mobilize, Underwater Homeowners Group Fights to Promote Climate Change Action, Underwater Homeowners Association Underscores Worries about Rising Sea Levels in Miami. | In Florida, Doctors See Climate Change Hurting Their Most Vulnerable Patients. Poisonous Toads Take Over Suburban Florida Neighborhood. [Art, Photo].
-180513-1.1>5. Disappearance of Some Dirty Hand Diseases among the Positive Effects of Ebola in Mangina -4↑. Community Dialogues, a New Ebola Strategy. Congo registers record 15 new Ebola cases in one day, and if there are such numbers for a few more days then there will be panic and uncontrolled spread. Butembo: Civil Society Calls on Armed Groups to Stop Attacking Ebola Treatment Centers. | Sierra Leone Cleared of Ebola Fund Pilfering Accusations.
-A.| Ebola Disbelief Widespread in DR Congo Hotspots. Distrust contributed to four violent attacks on Ebola treatment and transit centres in the past month. Some 36% of respondents also believed that the disease had been fabricated to destabilise the country. Local militias are active in the area and health workers are often accompanied by police and soldiers for security. Less than two thirds of people questioned in the survey said they would take a vaccine for Ebola. Many in Ebola Outbreak Don’t Believe Virus Is Real. Institutional Trust and Misinformation in the Response to the 2018-19 Ebola Outbreak in North Kivu, DR Congo: A Population Based Survey. Among 961 respondents, 349 (31·9%) trusted that local authorities represent their interest. Belief in misinformation was widespread, with 230 (25·5%) respondents believing that the Ebola outbreak was not real. Low institutional trust and belief in misinformation were associated with a decreased likelihood of adopting preventive behaviours, including acceptance of Ebola vaccines, and seeking formal health care. Table 3 Respondents who heard or believed misinformation about Ebola: Total 961
Heard misinformation that Ebola does not exist •↓850 86.5% is fabricated for financial gains •↓826 84.7% is fabricated to destabilise the region •↓837 86.1%
Believed misinformation that Ebola does not exist •↑230 25.5% is fabricated for financial gains •↑312 32.6% is fabricated to destabilise the region •↑371 36.4%. 190331-VCP-DRC, 190331-VCP-USA-A. 190331-Polemic-3.2.
-180311-6>6. <ADDED 190317>13 Doubts Rise about Evidence That U.S. Diplomats in Cuba Were Attacked. The idea of a "sonic attack" was appealing because it appeared to explain the odd sound reported by embassy workers who later had symptoms. The U.S. has had nearly two years to back up its claims of an attack but has yet to do so. There's a whole story that there's a group of diplomats, they were attacked with a weapon and they have brain injury. There's no evidence for brain injury. There is no evidence of an attack. You see vague symptoms that are very prevalent, that are common to any cross section of the population. And the story keeps changing. Not a sonic weapon. Then it's microwaves, and then it's hysteria and then it's an infection and on and on and on. A similar incident during the Cold War was that Soviet microwaves were causing cancer and a rare blood condition among staff at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, later disproved, but recycled now a brain cancer from cell phones. Microwaves in the Cold War: The Moscow Embassy Study and its Interpretation. Review of a Retrospective Cohort Study, The Two Sides of the Story: Is Microwave Radiation Harmful. Sonic Attack on the U.S. Embassy Likely Psychological. Microwave Myths. Weirding Module. Were the Sonic Attacks on American Diplomats Just SciFi.
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