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Anti-Science/Scientist Propaganda Continues to Grow

Using Evolutionary Concepts Like Selective Pressure To Tarnish Scientists Is Intellectually Lazy and Hypocritical in the Extreme

By Everyday JunglistPublished 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago 5 min read
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If I had a nickel for everytime I have used this image for an article I have written about science I would have about a quarter. I think it has been five times now. Image courtesy of https://pixabay.com/users/qimono-1962238/. Thanks qimono!

From the early days of the pandemic anti-science rhetoric has flooded the airwaves and webosphere. For the most part I have ignored the ugliness and remained on the sidelines, content in the belief that the vast majority of Americans recognized this stuff for what it was, complete and total bunk, motivated by fear and political inclinations more than genuine belief. However, as the pandemic has grinded on and on, the anti science rhetoric has continued to grow, and the level of sophistication of the arguments proffered by those with an anti-science/scientist agenda has grown along with it. When my dad (a retired engineer) began texting myself and my wife, both research scientists who have and are continuing to work on Covid-19 related projects (myself in diagnostics mostly and she in vaccine development), with wild conspiracy theory tinged messages I realized I could no longer sit this one out.

In this particular case the messages are draped in a veneer of science. They begin with a statement that is technically true and use the evolutionary concept of selective pressure as the basis for the argument. It is absolutely accepted and widely understood by the scientific community that the widespread use of vaccines and therapeutics in the battle against Covid-19 can result in selective pressure, in effect selecting for mutants that in some cases may be more virulent than their predecessors, and in all cases are less susceptible to the original treatments deployed to stop them. The same is true of any anti-microbial, including the common antibiotics we are all familiar with. The problem of anti biotic resistant bacteria is the direct result of the widespread misuse and overuse of antibiotics in treatment of infections (many of them viral, which do not respond to antibiotics) in humans and in animal agriculture. This is selective pressure writ large. Bacteria that are partially or totally resistant to these antibiotics survive and propagate, passing down their resistance genes to the next generation, those that are not, die. It is survival of the fittest (one aspect of evolutionary theory) in almost real time, greatly accelerated because the pace of microbial replication is so greatly accelerated compared to our own.

In the case of Covid-19 vaccines and therapeutics we are already seeing the same thing. Remdesevir which was used extensively in the early days of the pandemic, and likely saved Donald Trump's life, is no longer effective. There is no doubt we will see a similar phenomenon with the current crop of vaccines. All of this is known, it is a fact, and it is well understood. However, to take that fact and use it to support the conclusion that therefore we should stop developing/using vaccines and therapeutics and further that the scientists who are developing them are responsible for the ongoing pandemic is intellectually lazy, absurd, and ridiculous all in equal measure.

The reason is simple, there is one selective pressure that is a much greater force than vaccines or therapeutics could ever be. It can be thought of as the ultimate selective pressure, it is called death. In a way the anti science argument is correct, by withdrawing vaccines and therapeutics, we will eventually select out the most virulent and contagious variants of SARS-CoV-2, because those who are unfortunate enough to become infected with these strains will die. Eventually, because of another evolutionary concept, optimal virulence, the virus population will reduce to a level at which those strains can no longer find enough hosts to infect and reproduce and they will die out. And there you have it, pandemic ended. For those who are paying attention however you may noticed a slight flaw in the plan. All those pesky deaths we will have to deal with. Now some of the more extreme anti science types might say this is a good thing, survival of the fittest again, let the virus weed out the weak, the human race will be stronger for it in the end. Once again the irony of these people deploying evolutionary arguments when they do not believe in evolution does not escape me. However, there are people who might say this, until of course it is their wife or their husband or their son or daughter who gets sick, then you will note a slight change in course. It really pains me to do this, as the use of this particular historical analogy is abused and overused so many times by so many people, however, in this case I feel it is justified if as nothing more than a reminder to those who may have forgotten. There was once one individual not that long ago really who genuinely believed a very similar thing about humans and the human race. I do not want to find common cause with such a monster, do you? The only way to slow the pace of death is through the development and use of vaccines and therapeutics. Yes the virus will adapt, but so will we. If we are lucky and smart (and historically speaking so far we have been) we will adapt more quickly than them. We will continue to improve vaccines, make new and better therapeutics, until eventually we hit on a combination that cannot be overcome. Covid-19 will become a historical disease that is talked about in future schools in the same way we talk about smallpox today. At least, that is the great hope.

Using a technically true concept from evolutionary theory to support an illogical, absurd, and patently false conclusion is the height of intellectual laziness and the height of hypocrisy coming from those who do not believe in evolution. Stop this madness now. We (scientists) are busting our humps day in and day out to trying to end this pandemic. These scientists are my trusted friends, my colleagues, and my wife. They are dedicated, kind, hard working, loving people. They have lost loved ones to Covid-19 just as many others have. They do not deserve to be accused of starting or working to prolong this pandemic. They in fact are the only ones capable of stopping it. Thank them for their service, tell them you appreciate what they do, if you are in a position to do so give them raises, promote them, whatever, but do something nice for them. They may be our only hope.

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About the Creator

Everyday Junglist

Practicing mage of the natural sciences (Ph.D. micro/mol bio), Thought middle manager, Everyday Junglist, Boulderer, Cat lover, No tie shoelace user, Humorist, Argan oil aficionado. Occasional LinkedIn & Facebook user

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