3 ms·

> We can... [big list of good ideas] Those all sound like good ideas[1]. But exactly how will those affect the R0 of the virus if we all keep going to the pub

by gwd 7y ago

> We can... [big list of good ideas] Those all sound like good ideas[1]. But exactly how will those affect the R0 of the virus if we all keep going to the pub, and the club, and church, and the office, and schools, and concerts, and sporting events? Particularly if we ride the bus and the tube and trains and airplanes to get there? Fundamentally, not enough to keep it from saturating the population at least once. And if immunity doesn't last long enough for it to die out after that, not enough to keep it from saturating the population over and over. Which isn't to say we shouldn't do all the things you suggest. But simply slowing things down isn't our ultimate goal. Going back to some semblance or normalcy is our ultimate goal: Perhaps with tiles instead of carpet and bowing instead of shaking hands, sure, but not everyone holed up in their homes permanently. And towards that goal, there's not a clear path. [1] Except for "move to passive solar design", which I didn't really understand.

DoreenMichele 7y ago
Passive solar design relies on things like absorbing heat from the sun and storing the heat in structures with thermal mass instead of burning fuel and forcing air flow to try to heat the home. It actually results in a more comfortable home and higher quality of life. It's more environmentally friendly. It's more sustainable. And it doesn't actively promote sick building syndrome. Please note that Legionnaire's Disease was originally transmitted by the air conditioning system where it was growing. I hate forced air heat with a passion. I currently live in a hundred year old building with a radiator in my unit and it's a huge improvement over most living arrangements I've ever had. Normalcy: For someone in the 1800s, there's absolutely nothing normal about airplane flights, much less for ordinary individuals. There's nothing normal about computers. There's nothing normal about the internet. These things are all basically magic for someone from 150 years ago and we take it all for granted and feel like our lives are being utterly ruined if someone suggests we should maybe curtail our use. I have a form of cystic fibrosis. I've made a lot of the changes I'm talking about. I'm a social creature. I would love to have a "normal" life. The way I live didn't come naturally at all. It was a shotgun wedding. But it was better than the way I had and I am no longer in constant, excruciating pain and I'm no longer on boat loads of drugs and I generally sleep better, I'm more productive and I'm happier. I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for the world's worship of some arbitrary concept of normal. Life routinely adapts or dies. The people telling me that making permanent changes to our current lifestyle in order to not die is some unthinkable and harsh burden may well be among the dead in the near future. And the ones who remain can choose to adapt or die in the next round. It doesn't much matter to me. I already live the life of a germaphobe thanks to my genetic disorder. And I long ago gave up on ever being taken seriously, cared about, etc. So I have enough anger, bitterness and baggage over the past decade of being treated terribly by the world at large that I will be perfectly happy to see some folks go and I've got a mental list of "Hey, universe, maybe you can make sure Coronavirus gets these people soon. Thanks." But go ahead and cling desperately to your ideas about some "normal" life and how amazingly important that is. Maybe someone will mourn the loss of people doing that. But it won't be me. You have a good day. This is probably not a conversation worth pursuing.

by gwd 7y ago

DoreenMichele 7y ago

Passive solar design relies on things like absorbing heat from the sun and storing the heat in structures with thermal mass instead of burning fuel and forcing air flow to try to heat the home. It actually results in a more comfortable home and higher quality of life. It's more environmentally friendly. It's more sustainable. And it doesn't actively promote sick building syndrome. Please note that Legionnaire's Disease was originally transmitted by the air conditioning system where it was growing. I hate forced air heat with a passion. I currently live in a hundred year old building with a radiator in my unit and it's a huge improvement over most living arrangements I've ever had. Normalcy: For someone in the 1800s, there's absolutely nothing normal about airplane flights, much less for ordinary individuals. There's nothing normal about computers. There's nothing normal about the internet. These things are all basically magic for someone from 150 years ago and we take it all for granted and feel like our lives are being utterly ruined if someone suggests we should maybe curtail our use. I have a form of cystic fibrosis. I've made a lot of the changes I'm talking about. I'm a social creature. I would love to have a "normal" life. The way I live didn't come naturally at all. It was a shotgun wedding. But it was better than the way I had and I am no longer in constant, excruciating pain and I'm no longer on boat loads of drugs and I generally sleep better, I'm more productive and I'm happier. I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for the world's worship of some arbitrary concept of normal. Life routinely adapts or dies. The people telling me that making permanent changes to our current lifestyle in order to not die is some unthinkable and harsh burden may well be among the dead in the near future. And the ones who remain can choose to adapt or die in the next round. It doesn't much matter to me. I already live the life of a germaphobe thanks to my genetic disorder. And I long ago gave up on ever being taken seriously, cared about, etc. So I have enough anger, bitterness and baggage over the past decade of being treated terribly by the world at large that I will be perfectly happy to see some folks go and I've got a mental list of "Hey, universe, maybe you can make sure Coronavirus gets these people soon. Thanks." But go ahead and cling desperately to your ideas about some "normal" life and how amazingly important that is. Maybe someone will mourn the loss of people doing that. But it won't be me. You have a good day. This is probably not a conversation worth pursuing.