The Panic Virus: A True Story of Science, Medicine and Fear
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Seth MnookinJanuary 27, 2011
1 hour and 9 minutes
509 Recorded video views
0 Live stream views
From a press release about "The Panic Virus": Mnookin explains how dishonest researchers and snake-oil salesmen have taken advantage of desperate parents, and how the media - by ignoring facts and pretending that all points of view are equally valid - has through irresponsible coverage fueled a controversy that never should have arisen in the first place. He explores how cultural relativism and insular online communities have blurred the distinction between facts and feelings to the point that the traditional American ethos of individualism has been transformed into one in which individualized notions of reality, no matter how bizarre or irrational, are repeatedly validated. In addition, he gives readers fresh and fascinating insights into the scientific process, the nature of knowledge, and the subconscious forces that drive much of our daily lives.
