“By George!” cried the inspector. “How did you ever see that?”
“Because I looked for it.”
― Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, “#SherlockHolmes: The Adventure of the Dancing Men”
During my time growing up, I would be expected by my parents to be #observant and notice things; looking both ways (even down and up a one-way street) for traffic, making sure someone in chemistry class wasn’t doing what they weren’t supposed to be, watching where I was walking, noting details of someone in distress or of a possible crime being committed.
In times of distress or confusion (especially in times of pandemic) it is amazing how many people will espouse cover-up, deceit and #conspiracytheories in the face of ruling out the improbable and/or impossible. The time between reading something shocking on social media and reacting by clicking the #ShareButton is minute.
The idea – and practice – of investigating a claim or story or link doesn’t seem to happen much at all these days. The obvious idea of #doublechecking information is apparently not so obvious anymore. We are a reactionary society.
Observing. Thinking. Examining what evidence there is. These need to be encouraged, and loudly, by anyone and everyone in science, the media, to reduce fear and ignorance.
Don’t believe me? #Observe for yourself.
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Meteorologist Austen Onek 