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On Plagues, Prophecies, and Truth Falling by the Wayside

On Plagues, Prophecies, and Truth Falling by the Wayside
A man wears a mask for protection against COVID-19 while waiting outside a store in Ottawa, Canada, on April 4, 2020. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
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Commentary

Painfully aware of our mortality, humankind has continuously sought to buffer itself against the existential threats of the natural world. This instinct has led to the prescription of various methods of self-regulation and societal organization. Where we are at today is the result of a centuries-long experiment to deduce mankind’s most beneficial modes of being. Sometimes we have worked wonders while other times we failed catastrophically.