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Friday Nite Videos | January 17, 2020

Portside
Parnas Implicates Trump & Co. in Ukraine Crimes, and He Has Receipts. Sam Cooke | A Change Is Gonna Come. Why Australia's Fires Are Linked to Floods in Africa. Just Mercy | Movie. Debunking Anti-Vaxxers.

The Unforgiving Math That Stops Epidemics

Tara C. Smith Quanta
If you didn't get a flu shot, you are endangering more than just your own health. Calculations of herd immunity against common diseases don't make exceptions.

In the Age of Donald Trump, Vaccine Policy is Becoming Politicized, with Potentially Deadly Consequences

Orac Respectful Insolence
Traditionally state vaccination policy and school vaccine mandates have been as close to a nonpartisan issue as we have in this country. There has usually been broad bipartisan support for such mandates and the idea that children should be vaccinated in order to attend school. It’s a consensus that has served the country well for many decades now. What I fear is that this consensus is breaking down, and—even worse—school vaccine policies are becoming a partisan issue.

Why Presidential Debates Need Real-Time Fact-Checking

Ryan J. Thomas The Conversation
Candidates can get easy applause by lambasting journalists. Nevertheless, as a scholar concerned with the critical functions journalism fulfills in a democracy, the author argues that the highest imperative for journalists is to serve the needs of audiences and the democratic process for critical information. Journalists moderating presidential debates must function as journalists.

Inoculating Against Science Denial

John Cook The Conversation
Ironically, throwing more science at science denial ignores the social science research into denial. You can’t adequately address science denial without considering the root cause: the ideology driving the rejection. The way to inoculate people against anti-scientific myths is to explain the fallacy employed by the myth. Once people understand the techniques used to distort the science, they can reconcile the myth with the fact.

Jimmy Kimmel: A Message for the Anti-Vaccine Movement

Jimmy feels that all of this anti-vaccination silliness is starting to snowball, so he invited some real doctors to address it. These are actual medical professionals so hear them out and then decide for yourself.

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