We’re going into Day 4 of partial isolation here at Soapbox World HQ, and the news is all coronavirus-related.
Late-breaking: parvusimperator, back from vacation, has provided a few non-coronavirus links.
Wuhan Bat Soup Death Plague: Scare Pieces
- Satellite images of Iran digging mass graves
- Is the cure worse than the disease, asks Victor Davis Hanson – The Imperial College report which made Britain change its tune predicted that uncontrolled spread would yield 2.2 million deaths in the US. Obviously, uncontrolled spread was never going to happen, but I lean toward thinking that successful aggressive attempts to arrest the spread of the virus are going to make it look like aggressive attempts were not required.
WBSDP: Maps and Data
- I may not like how much politics sneaks into the New York Times’ news pages, but blast me if their data visualization people aren’t top notch – They’re maintaining the only US-wide map with county-level resolution, although granted, the New York clusters are starting to cover up issues elsewhere in that state.
- Time-shifting coronavirus diagnoses – Even after mitigating measures go into place, the official count of cases will go up for a while, as people infected before the lockdown started become symptomatic, get tested, and find their way into the official counts. You can see the same thing with Italy on the avatorl.org dashboard, which implemented lockdown measures on 3/9 and only started seeing results on 3/14.
WBSDP: Other Useful Information
- Inside China’s coronavirus fight – Item of note from this story: the Chinese government pulled in a bunch of public servants from other fields altogether and roped them into coronavirus service. You don’t need epidemiological training to do contact tracing, or much medical training to gown up and take people’s temperatures.
- Italy: 99% of fatal coronavirus cases had another medical condition – Granted, that includes things like ‘high blood pressure’, which is pretty widespread here, too.
Books We’re Reading
- Me: Masterpieces of Mystery – The Golden Age – Part II, selected by Ellery Queen.
- John: Churchill, by Andrew Roberts, and then Chassepot to Famas by Gun Jesus, in the lovely preorder blue (bleu?).
Defense
- The world’s most advanced F-5s are in private hands – Tactical Air Support, Inc. in Reno has added full-color helmet-mounted displays, an advanced radar and RWR, large-panel glass cockpits…
Guns
Space
- On the impact of Starlink satellites on astronomical observation – “At low elevations near twilight at intermediate latitudes (45-55 deg, e.g. much of Europe) hundreds of satellites may be visible at once to naked-eye observers at dark sites.” Honestly, I think that would be pretty cool.
Lighter Notes
- Racing sim streams fill the gap left by delayed auto racing seasons – Taking part were a bunch of racing sim regulars, Max Verstappen, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
- Tom Brady leaving Patriots – Word is, Tampa Bay is courting him most seriously.
- Texans trade star wide receiver for late-round draft picks, washed-up running back – File under Jobs I Could Make A Better Go At.