Page 74 - Fall2020

Tim’s DVD Reviews

One their flexibility in this matter, but according to a classic example of looking at a surrogate end-
favorite of a study in the British Medical Journal, cloth point and making the assumption that greater
masks turn out to be worse than nothing at all.
viral load equals greater disease or infection
the news On the other hand, there are studies that risk. But these tests showed that the risk was
media is a conclude that masks are extremely effective. not changed in spite of viral load. I personally
study done by One favorite of the news media is a study done don’t care what the viral load is. I care about the
by Hong Kong University. One minor detail that risk of actually getting sick.
Hong Kong might be worth thinking through is the fact that The bottom line is that for all the bloviat-

University. the study was not done with humans. It was done ing about science, that is not what is really
One minor with hamsters. being talked about. Free exchange of informa-
OK. Hamsters may do an admirable job of tion is an essential feature of science. Science
detail simulating average human intelligence, but the does not advance by clinging to the status quo
that might astute observer may detect some slight physical, or only considering one side of an argument.
be worth morphological differences between hamsters Censorship does not win arguments. It destroys
and humans. Apparently funding was not avail-
the credibility of the one doing the censoring,
thinking able to engineer a mask to accommodate those not the censored. Ad hominem attacks further
through is the differences, so no hamster actually wore a mask destroy credibility. Asserting that “the science
fact that the in this experiment. What the researchers did is settled” is not a scientific statement; it is a
instead was put a bunch of sick hamsters on statement of religious intolerance. Whether you
study was not one side of a wall with a hole in it and healthy agree with these mask studies or not, the science
done with hamsters on the other side of the wall. One phase is hardly settled.
humans. counted how many healthy hamsters became We see on one side people who don’t care
sick while the hole was open, and the other phase whether you wear a mask. If you want to wear
It was done counted how many hamsters got sick while the one, knock yourself out. The other side is re-
with hole was covered by a mask. The data indicated sorting to tactics that make the thinking person

hamsters. that a mask over the hole greatly reduced the wonder what their problem is. The results of
number of sick hamsters.
this religious intolerance for disagreement has
That’s very interesting, but some might led to both scary and hilarious results. Draco-
be a little skeptical as to how relevant that is nian dictatorship is scary, but then I see an ad
to real-life situations. I must confess I’m quite encouraging couples to wear masks during sex.
dubious myself, but the talking heads who want I see people alone in their cars driving down
to control us all seem to think this study is more the road wearing masks (the people wearing
convincing than actual human studies. masks, not the cars—yet). I’m tempted to think
The Science and History of Masks in Medi- my crack about the equivalence of hamster and
cine has been posted on Instagram, where one human intelligence is an insult to hamsters. The
commenter argued that many of the studies do thumb is UP.
show that masks reduce the viral load. This is

DANISH TRANSLATION!

Dr. Price’s masterpiece, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration is now available in Danish.
Visit: q-publish.dk/udgivelser/ernaering-fysisk-degeneration/
Many thanks to WAPF member Henrik Hanson for the translation!

72 Wise Traditions FALL 2020