“Tell the truth” is the political lesson we need from COVID-19

A convergence of forces is making the scientific method more important than ever.

We all learned this one in school - “Facts are only a hypothesis that has not been proven wrong”

We are in the age of information and dis-information. Anyone can pull anything out of their ass and put it on the internet. Hell. That’s what I’m doing right now.

The scientific method is not someones thesis. It’s a succinct model that encapsulates the type of human thought that drives discovery, innovation, and change. Refined through the minds of enduring intellects throughout history.

There is a convergence of potentially powerful tools on our horizon. Quantum computing, Machine Learning / AI, and infinite cheep data are all combining to accelerate the pace of human progress.

It’s clear that this tool set will provide accelerate discovery, transform industries and human life. It should also transform how we hold pundits, politicians, and government accountable.

The COVID-19 outbreak is a great argument for bringing rapid evidence based decision making to the forefront of politics.

Humans have paid for our knowledge of pandemics in the form of very real indiscriminate death. Any idea about COVID-19 that is not founded on this evidence bears no weight. From the Syrian refugees currently lined up on Turkey’s border to the top officials in any government the science behind the virus dissolves anything but the facts.

Holding politicians accountable to facts starts with holding ourselves accountable in the same way.

The crazy thing is that COVID-19 is forcing us all to confront the facts at the same time. It’s forcing us to settle for nothing less than real information and take personal action to project altruism and change. Keep the ball rolling. Sure, form opinions when an answer is not clear but relentlessly double check yourself.

If we can take away a lesson from COVID-19 it’s that we are capable of rapidly redirecting personal and societal action. We can force change and we should demand that change revolve around evidence based facts. Consider this the modernization of our political system. Just stick to that thing you learned in Middle School. No Demagogues or pedestals.