You’ve likely heard the disease currently ravaging the planet described
as a “novel coronavirus.” It was correct, of course, as it is novel. But
that wasn’t all it was, and one the most frustrating aspects of this
pandemic has been letting the word “novel” blind us to the rest of the
phrase: coronavirus.
This virus wasn’t something we knew nothing about. There was so much we
knew, from day one, including because of SARS, the previous
almost-pandemic that was also a similar coronavirus. We could have used
that vital pre-information better if we had matched the requisite
epistemic humility that a pandemic requires—an acknowledgement that we
aren’t certain of anything—with an insistence that this situation wasn’t
a blank slate. We could have utilized our prior knowledge to plan ahead,
while not letting go of the uncertainty—taking thoughtful steps but
without overstating our confidence.
https://zeynep.substack.com/p/balancing-epistemic-humility-and
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