I created this site in March 2020 to help people around the world understand the science behind the COVID-19 pandemic and the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that caused it. My aim was to provide scientifically accurate information in a way that anyone could learn from. During the year I dedicated to this project, I remained committed to doing my small part to help humanity.
My Background and Perspective
I am a scientist, an engineer, and a linguist. While I am not formally trained in biological sciences, they have long been a subject of great interest to me. I engage with information from a variety of sources—popular books, scientific reports, and news across the political spectrum.
During the first year of the pandemic, I was driven to learn as much as possible about all aspects of COVID-19. My training in physics helped me grasp complex scientific concepts and understand how scientific knowledge advances. At the same time, my background in linguistics has made me aware of the limitations of language, which can sometimes lead to misunderstandings. For instance, when a scientist states something as true, it is often understood within the context of what science has determined so far—a nuance that can be easily misinterpreted.
I have also sought to understand how so-called “outliers” view the pandemic and have engaged with people who believe what I consider to be misinformation, trying to explain what I believe science is actually saying.
Understanding the Role and Limits of Science
From my years of study at top universities like MIT and Berkeley, I learned what science is, what it can achieve, and where its limits lie. Science is built on self-consistent facts and theories. Yet even in times of crisis, when reliable information is crucial, the truth can sometimes get lost. When experts disagree on basic facts, it becomes challenging to know how best to protect ourselves and our loved ones.
Science in Times of Crisis: Uncertainty and Progress
Science during a crisis is both a glass half empty and a glass half full. While many established scientific truths guide us, understanding something as new as COVID-19 takes time. Science already knew a lot about coronaviruses before COVID-19 appeared, but a novel coronavirus can have completely different characteristics. Scientists had to learn as quickly as possible what those characteristics were in order to minimize deaths.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is so small that a normal microscope cannot see it. Despite these challenges, science made rapid progress in understanding the virus, yet misinformation spread just as quickly. I noticed how readily people jumped to conclusions—claims that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was effective or that vaccines were unsafe circulated before the science was fully understood. Many who spread such misinformation did not take the time to listen to what science actually knew and why.
Embracing Uncertainty and Seeking Clarity
What if the pandemic won’t wait for science to catch up? As humans, we crave certainty in a crisis, yet science is uniquely capable of dealing with uncertainty. It remains our best tool for using reason to predict and understand the natural world—including viruses. We must recognize and trust the half of the glass that is full, while also acknowledging science’s limits. This balanced understanding allows us to explore what lies beyond science through our faith, beliefs, philosophy, politics, and ethics.
The Role of Science in Understanding the World
We need science, but we need more than just science. My goal is to help you understand what science has discovered and how that knowledge continues to evolve.
©2020, 2021 Dr. Michael Herrera