Featured Refresh
Text & Image
Talk about what you think the world will be like after the pandemic is over.
We humans are adaptable. We fight as hard as we can to forget events as soon as they are over. Some of us even deny events that are happening now. What do you expect, in a world where some folks argue the world is not round? When I went to college and grad school, I studied the humanities. But now I work with scientists, and I've come to appreciate all that the scientific approach has brought. So much of our lives has been made possible through science and technology: the food we eat, the buildings and transport systems we enjoy, the internet which keeps us employed and occupied. Scientific research brought us a highly effective Covid-19 vaccine, in an astonishingly short amount of time. After this pandemic crisis is over, the scientists will continue to do research. Hopefully the rest of us non-scientists will gain a finer appreciation for what science has done for us. Respect and fund science!
April 26, 2021
Text & Image
How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting your life right now? Tell us about your experiences, feelings, and thoughts.
Thick plastic separates me from the taxi driver. He speaks with a strong accent, and the plastic muffles the sound so much that we can hardly understand each other. He's taking me home from the airport, where I've just returned from my mother's funeral. She died of COVID a month ago, and with everyone's vaccine schedules this was the earliest we could have a service. When the driver had politely opened the door for me and asked if my trip was for work or pleasure, I didn't even know what to say. I reminded myself that he's from a different culture and language, and it's just small talk after all. But once he was in the driver's seat, it took a lot of shouting and gesticulating through the plastic to get home. A masked funeral, COVID, losing my mom, delivering a eulogy, the awkward reunions with long-lost relatives, all of it is impossible to describe. But something about that plastic was almost as disturbing, and it was hard not to cry.
May 7, 2021