How to separate conspiracy and reality.
Though rumors that the coronavirus could have originated in a lab in Wuhan, China, have been swirling, many dismissed that theory for what appeared to be a more plausible explanation: Animals gave it to humans, right? But an intelligence inquiry into the virus's origins ordered this week by President Biden is a good reminder that even when we are so sure of something, we still may not have all of the answers. While driven by the absence of information rather than any definitive new findings, the inquiry may prompt even some of the staunchest skeptics to reconsider. We exist in the same world as QAnon, deepfakes and ample misinformation. Sometimes we believe what we hear too quickly, or perhaps dismiss something that sounds unbelievable too soon; either way, the bounds of reality can feel fuzzy at times. |
The notion of a pandemic fueled by a lab leak was, as the Times columnist Frank Bruni wrote in his newsletter this week, initially widely seen as a conspiracy theory, getting the same eye rolls as reports of U.F.O. sightings. Now even that possibility — and the idea that we're not alone out here — is being debated. While we may not get a clear answer on either during our lifetimes, if the past week has taught us anything, it's that our propensity to jump to conclusions could lead us astray. |
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