principiascientificinternational--2020-08-28--Covid-19 and Grand Solar Minimum

Covid-19 and Grand Solar Minimum

The reality on the ground seems quite different .
Independent researchers have conducted their own investigations and found no queues of people lining up for tests and hospitals that are virtually empty .
News organisations have been caught using footage from one location and presenting it as being from another and in some cases even showing mannequins .
Aside from celebrities , politicians and rich elites I still don ’ t know of anyone who ’ s contracted coronavirus ( or know anyone who knows anyone who has ) and this is particularly surprising because the recently deceased are now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t been tested .
The reliability of the testing kits also came under scrutiny when a goat and a piece of fruit both tested positive for Covid-19 .
The lethality of the coronavirus appears to have been inexplicably exaggerated and , despite it now being publicly acknowledged that the initial predictions were all hopelessly wrong , the alarmism continues and the suggestion of lifting the lockdown anytime soon is only tentatively being discussed .
The longer this goes on , the more the narrative is being questioned and there are those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a deadly pandemic , the coronavirus is simply a cover story for something else that ’ s going on behind the scenes .
Some of the alternative theories are that Covid-19 is actually : • A draconian measure originally designed to suppress the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong which then spiralled out of control • An economic weapon designed to cripple the Chinese economy with gargantuan compensation claims , if/when the source of the outbreak is confirmed to be the Wuhan lab • A manufactured event designed to clog the news cycles @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Qanon declass • A final attempt by Trump ’ s opponents to prevent his re-election by ruining the global economy and highlighting his mismanagement of a crisis • A means of reducing the planet ’ s population starting with a cull of the old and weak There is evidence for and against the first three theories and , whilst being an act of selfish desperation , it wouldn ’ t surprise me if number four was the correct explanation .
But it may be worth taking the last two theories more seriously – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to an event that will definitely happen ; and despite this being an undisputed fact and a mathematical certainty , virtually no one is talking about it .
Grand Solar Minimum ( GSM ) is a period of decreased sunspot activity .
It occurs once every 400 years , regular as clockwork and the last time it happened , the Northern Hemisphere experienced what became known as the ‘ Little Ice Age ’ .
During GSM the temperature of the planet decreases , the crops fail and the price of food skyrockets .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ GSM and if we go back to the 16th Century , we not only see the Thames in London freeze but also the advent of the bubonic plague .
Whether or not Covid-19 really is a killer virus , the current disruptions to the food supply and the social distancing measures are real – and they ’ re both consistent with what we can expect during GSM .
I ’ ve heard financial commentators over the last few weeks actually describe the global economy as ‘ freezing up ’ and if you go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years ) you ’ ll find other indicators that everything was already beginning to grind to a halt .
Hundreds of corporate CEOs dumped their stocks and resigned just before the outbreak of Covid-19 .
The Baltic Dry Index went negative for the first time .
Before that Donald Trump began building a wall and before that the UK decided to sever ties with the EU .
More recently Russia has restricted its grain exports and Romania has banned them completely .
Nationalism and the ethos of self-reliance are flourishing as globalism is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ global supply chain doesn ’ t stand a chance of functioning reliably during another Little Ice Age .
If what we ’ re experiencing now is just a dress rehearsal for GSM , then using Covid-19 to pave the way for a global financial reset/transition makes perfect sense .
Cryptocurrencies are infinitely divisible and during the forthcoming GSM a currency will be needed which can account for literally EVERY grain of rice , every seed and every lentil pulse .
If Covid-19 is just the start of a plan to stealthily depopulate the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ upon cold , hard logic .
During GSM there simply won ’ t be enough food to go around – and rather than risk anything as awful as the scenario depicted in The Road ( 2009 ) the shadow-stewards of planet Earth may have opted for a soft-kill policy where wave after wave of similar coronavirus strains ( Covid-19 , then 20 , then 21 , then 22 ) steadily reduce the number of mouths to feed .
Going back again to the 16th Century , the population of the planet is estimated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Coincidentally , this is exactly the same figure recommended on the mysterious Georgia Guidestones to maintain humanity ‘ In perpetual balance with nature ’ .
It goes deeper .
In October 2019 Bill Gates hosted Event 201 ( a simulated coronavirus outbreak which killed 65 million people ) and Microsoft recently filed a patent for a cryptocurrency system using body activated data .
The following is from Revelations 13 of the Bible : ‘ so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark , that is , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its name .
‘ The number of the beast is 666 .
Microsoft ’ s patent number is : WO2020060606 .
Revelations 22 is the final chapter of the Bible and I ’ ve mentioned the significance of the number 22 in previous articles .
We ’ re now in the year 2020 and Grand Solar Minimum occurs once every 400 years .
The number 400 appears 22 times in the Bible .
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL , legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes .
Head Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WC1N 3AX .
Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method .

Written by Alex Mott
The coronavirus (or Covid-19) has a mortality rate of less than 1%. If you contract Covid-19 you have a 99% chance of survival due to the 1% comprising of the very old and those with pre-existing medical conditions. Despite these unremarkable statistics the world has been shut down.
Shops, restaurants and clubs are closed, very few can go to work and the message from the government has been loud, clear and repeated 24/7: Stay in your homes and wash your hands. Those who have dared to venture outside without a valid reason have been pursued by police drones, publicly shamed on social media and/or fined (I know of at least one person who actually was).
The mainstream media is in perfect lockstep with this authoritarian stance and has been saturating its output with nightmare predictions, reports of hospitals overrun with Covid-19 cases and interviews with nursing staff pleading with us to heed the advice given.
The reality on the ground seems quite different. Independent researchers have conducted their own investigations and found no queues of people lining up for tests and hospitals that are virtually empty. News organisations have been caught using footage from one location and presenting it as being from another and in some cases even showing mannequins.
Aside from celebrities, politicians and rich elites I still don’t know of anyone who’s contracted coronavirus (or know anyone who knows anyone who has) and this is particularly surprising because the recently deceased are now being rubber-stamped with Covid-19 even if they haven’t been tested. The reliability of the testing kits also came under scrutiny when a goat and a piece of fruit both tested positive for Covid-19.
The lethality of the coronavirus appears to have been inexplicably exaggerated and, despite it now being publicly acknowledged that the initial predictions were all hopelessly wrong, the alarmism continues and the suggestion of lifting the lockdown anytime soon is only tentatively being discussed.
The longer this goes on, the more the narrative is being questioned and there are those who now suspect that, far from being a deadly pandemic, the coronavirus is simply a cover story for something else that’s going on behind the scenes. Some of the alternative theories are that Covid-19 is actually:
A draconian measure originally designed to suppress the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong which then spiralled out of control An economic weapon designed to cripple the Chinese economy with gargantuan compensation claims, if/when the source of the outbreak is confirmed to be the Wuhan lab A manufactured event designed to clog the news cycles and distract the public from the forthcoming Qanon declass A final attempt by Trump’s opponents to prevent his re-election by ruining the global economy and highlighting his mismanagement of a crisis A global financial reset/transition A means of reducing the planet’s population starting with a cull of the old and weak
There is evidence for and against the first three theories and, whilst being an act of selfish desperation, it wouldn’t surprise me if number four was the correct explanation. But it may be worth taking the last two theories more seriously – because they’re both directly related to an event that will definitely happen; and despite this being an undisputed fact and a mathematical certainty, virtually no one is talking about it.
Grand Solar Minimum (GSM) is a period of decreased sunspot activity. It occurs once every 400 years, regular as clockwork and the last time it happened, the Northern Hemisphere experienced what became known as the ‘Little Ice Age’.
During GSM the temperature of the planet decreases, the crops fail and the price of food skyrockets. The number of infectious diseases increase during GSM and if we go back to the 16th Century, we not only see the Thames in London freeze but also the advent of the bubonic plague. Whether or not Covid-19 really is a killer virus, the current disruptions to the food supply and the social distancing measures are real – and they’re both consistent with what we can expect during GSM.
I’ve heard financial commentators over the last few weeks actually describe the global economy as ‘freezing up’ and if you go back a few months (or even years) you’ll find other indicators that everything was already beginning to grind to a halt. Hundreds of corporate CEOs dumped their stocks and resigned just before the outbreak of Covid-19.
The Baltic Dry Index went negative for the first time. Before that Donald Trump began building a wall and before that the UK decided to sever ties with the EU. More recently Russia has restricted its grain exports and Romania has banned them completely. Nationalism and the ethos of self-reliance are flourishing as globalism is being rejected – perhaps because an interconnected global supply chain doesn’t stand a chance of functioning reliably during another Little Ice Age.
If what we’re experiencing now is just a dress rehearsal for GSM, then using Covid-19 to pave the way for a global financial reset/transition makes perfect sense. Cryptocurrencies are infinitely divisible and during the forthcoming GSM a currency will be needed which can account for literally EVERY grain of rice, every seed and every lentil pulse.
If Covid-19 is just the start of a plan to stealthily depopulate the planet, this is unfortunately also based upon cold, hard logic. During GSM there simply won’t be enough food to go around – and rather than risk anything as awful as the scenario depicted in The Road (2009) the shadow-stewards of planet Earth may have opted for a soft-kill policy where wave after wave of similar coronavirus strains (Covid-19, then 20, then 21, then 22) steadily reduce the number of mouths to feed.
Going back again to the 16th Century, the population of the planet is estimated to have been approx. 500 million. Coincidentally, this is exactly the same figure recommended on the mysterious Georgia Guidestones to maintain humanity ‘In perpetual balance with nature’.
It goes deeper. In October 2019 Bill Gates hosted Event 201 (a simulated coronavirus outbreak which killed 65 million people) and Microsoft recently filed a patent for a cryptocurrency system using body activated data. The following is from Revelations 13 of the Bible:
‘so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. ‘
The number of the beast is 666. Microsoft’s patent number is: WO2020060606. Revelations 22 is the final chapter of the Bible and I’ve mentioned the significance of the number 22 in previous articles. We’re now in the year 2020 and Grand Solar Minimum occurs once every 400 years.
The number 400 appears 22 times in the Bible.
Read more at www.linkedin.com
***
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method.


principiascientificinternational--2020-08-29--10,000+ in Trafalgar Square, London Protest the COVID19 Fraud

Despite media attempts to belittle and stifle dissent thousands of protesters peacefully massed in the very heart of London on Saturday 29th August 2020 against the anti-freedom , anti-science pandemic tyranny .
Myriad photographs and videos of the huge crowd testify it was far larger than the lying media ’ s claims of “ hundreds of conspiracy theorists ” and “ far right activists.
” UK national rag , The Daily Mirror reported the mass gathering thus : Very evident from photos of the event was that masks were barely in sight and social distancing rules completely ignored .
Indeed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ diapers were the police officers unable ( or unwilling ) to enforce the tyrannical government emergency rules .
This was despite Scotland Yard handing out an open letter addressed to the scores of attendees .
The letter advised that anyone attending a gathering of more than 30 people may be at risk of committing a criminal offence .
However , the police officers at the scene watched on powerless to enforce the anti-free speech order in face of the overwhelming numbers gathered .
What is frequently ignored , often intentionally , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ panel on infectious diseases downgraded the dangers from the ‘ novel coronavirus ’ to the level of a normal influenza outbreak as far back as March 19 2020 – just days before the ‘ lockdown ’ was implemented .
There is enormous controversy over the medical evidence and scientists in many disciplines , including the UK government ’ s own top adviser who admitted : ‘ Lockdown A Monumental Mistake.
’ While data fraud , alarmism and misreporting has been revealed thanks to an Official Report which shows the UK Government faked cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of medical experts , economists , scientists and a president are declaring that the extreme measures in shutting down entire national economies could be a case of the ‘ cure being worse than the disease.
’ Tens of thousands of UK patients requiring treatment for other diseases such as cancers have had treatments curtailed , postponed and canceled .
Whistleblower NHS staff are coming forward to reveal that wards have been empty and staff have had few , if any , actual patients during the ‘ crisis.
’ Worried doctors believe that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ far exceed the deaths from the virus .
Among the speakers in Trafalgar Square was Principia Scientific International ’ s own Piers Corbyn ( photo , above ) alongside David Icke and other prominent civil rights campaigners .
However , Mr Corbyn ( a self-confessed socialist and brother of former Labour Party Leader , Jeremy ) was later escorted away by police , according to one Twitter user who was at the scene .
Corbyn ’ s prominence at the rally confirming that a wide cross section of society – left and right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The veteran activist was detained by police on May 16 after a crowd of people gathered in central London to oppose Government efforts to combat the virus crisis .
Sadly , the vast majority of citizens have far too long trusted only one source of information – the corporate mainstream media ( MSM ) and the public announcements of the State .
But such protests as seen today in London , Berlin and other cities around the world shows not only that there is a great awakening taking place , but that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globalist elite to restrict our freedoms even further , will not receive public acquiescence .
Many of the banners on display in London labeled the pandemic a hoax typifies an awakening to the corruption of governmental bodies such as the World Health Organization ( WHO ) which gets 80 % of its finances from voluntary contributions .
Activist Sonia Poulton , who was part of the protest said : Conspicuous among the crowd were those wearing ‘ QAnon ’ shirts , badges and caps .
The media paints the movement as a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ globalist corruption , satanic worship and child trafficking , In its most recent 2017 voluntary contribution report the WHO accounted for the $ 2.1 billion it received from private foundations and global corporations .
Those corporations , such as vaccine companies , have most to gain from promoting the continuation of ‘ lockdown ’ and the mass vaccination programs being planned by national governments .
Meanwhile , a London-based newspaper , The Evening Standard , reports that London ’ s Metropolitan Police were cracking down on such open dissent of the “ scamdemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rights , said there were 35-40 thousand in total by 4pm , judging by the extensive size of the crowd .
Trafalgar Square is known to have a capacity of 40,000 .
Despite the huge numbers , there has been a news blackout about the event on BBC and Sky News .
If it was BLM it would be all over the news and for a far smaller turnout .
The Government and media have plenty to hide .
About the author : John O ’ Sullivan John is CEO and co-founder ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scientific International ( PSI ) .
John is a seasoned science writer and legal analyst who assisted Dr Ball in defeating world leading climate expert , Michael ‘ hockey stick ’ Mann in the ‘ science trial of the century ‘ .
O ’ Sullivan is credited as the visionary who formed the original ‘ Slayers ’ group of scientists in 2010 who then collaborated in creating the world ’ s first full-volume debunk of the greenhouse gas theory plus their new follow-up book .
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL , legally registered in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ purposes .
Head Office : 27 Old Gloucester Street , London WC1N 3AX .
Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method .

10,000+ in Trafalgar Square, London Protest the COVID19 Fraud
Written by John O'Sullivan
Despite media attempts to belittle and stifle dissent thousands of protesters peacefully massed in the very heart of London on Saturday 29th August 2020 against the anti-freedom, anti-science pandemic tyranny.
Myriad photographs and videos of the huge crowd testify it was far larger than the lying media’s claims of “hundreds of conspiracy theorists” and “far right activists.”
UK national rag, The Daily Mirror reported the mass gathering thus:
“Thousands of anti-lockdown protesters have gathered in central London, claiming coronavirus is a “hoax”.The “Unite For Freedom” march started in Trafalgar Square at noon on Saturday, with demonstrators calling for ‘no more lockdowns, ‘no to vaccinations’ and ‘no to government lies’,” reports the Mirror’s Jamie Hawkins.
Very evident from photos of the event was that masks were barely in sight and social distancing rules completely ignored. Indeed, the only faces wearing the mouth diapers were the police officers unable (or unwilling) to enforce the tyrannical government emergency rules. This was despite Scotland Yard handing out an open letter addressed to the scores of attendees.
The letter advised that anyone attending a gathering of more than 30 people may be at risk of committing a criminal offence. However, the police officers at the scene watched on powerless to enforce the anti-free speech order in face of the overwhelming numbers gathered.
What is frequently ignored, often intentionally, is that the British Government’s science advisory panel on infectious diseases downgraded the dangers from the ‘novel coronavirus’ to the level of a normal influenza outbreak as far back as March 19 2020 – just days before the ‘lockdown’ was implemented.
There is enormous controversy over the medical evidence and scientists in many disciplines, including the UK government’s own top adviser who admitted: ‘Lockdown A Monumental Mistake.’
While data fraud, alarmism and misreporting has been revealed thanks to an Official Report which shows the UK Government faked cases to cause more alarm.
An increasing number of medical experts, economists, scientists and a president are declaring that the extreme measures in shutting down entire national economies could be a case of the ‘cure being worse than the disease.’
Tens of thousands of UK patients requiring treatment for other diseases such as cancers have had treatments curtailed, postponed and canceled.
Whistleblower NHS staff are coming forward to reveal that wards have been empty and staff have had few, if any, actual patients during the ‘crisis.’ Worried doctors believe that the death toll from such measures will far exceed the deaths from the virus.
Among the speakers in Trafalgar Square was Principia Scientific International’s own Piers Corbyn (photo, above) alongside David Icke and other prominent civil rights campaigners. However, Mr Corbyn (a self-confessed socialist and brother of former Labour Party Leader, Jeremy) was later escorted away by police, according to one Twitter user who was at the scene. Corbyn’s prominence at the rally confirming that a wide cross section of society – left and right – oppose the draconian virus measures.
The veteran activist was detained by police on May 16 after a crowd of people gathered in central London to oppose Government efforts to combat the virus crisis.
Sadly, the vast majority of citizens have far too long trusted only one source of information – the corporate mainstream media (MSM) and the public announcements of the State. But such protests as seen today in London, Berlin and other cities around the world shows not only that there is a great awakening taking place, but that the “great reset” planned by the globalist elite to restrict our freedoms even further, will not receive public acquiescence.
Many of the banners on display in London labeled the pandemic a hoax typifies an awakening to the corruption of governmental bodies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) which gets 80% of its finances from voluntary contributions.
Activist Sonia Poulton, who was part of the protest said:
“People are coming today to make their voices heard against mandatory vaccinations, mandatory masks, mandatory anything really. No more lockdowns, no more second wave business”.
Conspicuous among the crowd were those wearing ‘QAnon’ shirts, badges and caps. The media paints the movement as a “right-wing conspiracy” for championing action against globalist corruption, satanic worship and child trafficking,
In its most recent 2017 voluntary contribution report the WHO accounted for the $2.1 billion it received from private foundations and global corporations. Those corporations, such as vaccine companies, have most to gain from promoting the continuation of ‘lockdown’ and the mass vaccination programs being planned by national governments.
Meanwhile, a London-based newspaper, The Evening Standard, reports that London’s Metropolitan Police were cracking down on such open dissent of the “scamdemic”:
“A large number of officers, sporting face masks, were seen confronting demonstrators at the Bank Holiday weekend rally. Meanwhile, Scotland Yard issued an open letter addressed to the scores of attendees. The letter advised that anyone attending a gathering of more than 30 people may be at risk of committing a criminal offence. It was handed to the protesters as they marched down Whitehall.”
The hosts – Save Our Rights, said there were 35-40 thousand in total by 4pm, judging by the extensive size of the crowd. Trafalgar Square is known to have a capacity of 40,000.
Despite the huge numbers, there has been a news blackout about the event on BBC and Sky News. If it was BLM it would be all over the news and for a far smaller turnout. The Government and media have plenty to hide.
About the author: John O’Sullivan John is CEO and co-founder (with Dr Tim Ball) of Principia Scientific International (PSI). John is a seasoned science writer and legal analyst who assisted Dr Ball in defeating world leading climate expert, Michael ‘hockey stick’ Mann in the ‘science trial of the century‘. O’Sullivan is credited as the visionary who formed the original ‘Slayers’ group of scientists in 2010 who then collaborated in creating the world’s first full-volume debunk of the greenhouse gas theory plus their new follow-up book.
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method.
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principiascientificinternational--2020-08-30--The Law Says A Virus May Only Be Patented If Created in a Lab

The Law Says A Virus May Only Be Patented If Created in a Lab There is a very serious question with regard to patents .
How is it possible to patent a virus ?
Legally , you should only be able to patent something you invent .
You can not patent nature .
That would be like filing for a patent on water .
This video goes into some of the backgrounds behind this question .
There is a serious question that COVID-19 may have been created , shipped to Wuhan , and someone bribed to release it .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ washing your hands kills this virus .
The death rate of 175,000 Americans out of 328 million is only 0.0005335 % .
Yet CNN constantly terrorizes people every day reporting how many cases and deaths .
Yet about 647,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that ’ s 1 in every 4 deaths according to the CDC .
They do not report that every single day .
According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel , about 1.35 million people die in road crashes each year , on average 3,700 people lose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
An additional 20-50 million suffer non-fatal injuries , often resulting in long-term disabilities .
The U.S. traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants .
CNN and others refuse to represent the people and prefer trying to indoctrinate them to be mindless drones .
Nobody will dare look at these patents and how could Fauci even dare to try to patent any virus ?
There is no reporting on this very serious question .
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL , legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , London WC1N 3AX .
Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method .

The Law Says A Virus May Only Be Patented If Created in a Lab
Written by Martin Armstrong
There is a very serious question with regard to patents. How is it possible to patent a virus? Legally, you should only be able to patent something you invent. You cannot patent nature. That would be like filing for a patent on water. This video goes into some of the backgrounds behind this question.
There is a serious question that COVID-19 may have been created, shipped to Wuhan, and someone bribed to release it. It is not really that lethal. Simply washing your hands kills this virus.
The death rate of 175,000 Americans out of 328 million is only 0.0005335%. Yet CNN constantly terrorizes people every day reporting how many cases and deaths. Yet about 647,000 Americans die from heart disease each year—that’s 1 in every 4 deaths according to the CDC. They do not report that every single day.
According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, about 1.35 million people die in road crashes each year, on average 3,700 people lose their lives every day on the roads. An additional 20-50 million suffer non-fatal injuries, often resulting in long-term disabilities. The U.S. traffic fatality rate is 12.4 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
CNN and others refuse to represent the people and prefer trying to indoctrinate them to be mindless drones. Nobody will dare look at these patents and how could Fauci even dare to try to patent any virus? There is no reporting on this very serious question.
Read more at www.armstrongeconomics.com
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principiascientificinternational--2020-08-30--Finally, CDC Admits Just 9,210 Americans Died FROM Covid19

We had suspected governments were manipulating the death toll numbers from the coronavirus pandemic .
But the full extent of the fraud has only now become apparent as the CDC ’ s own data reveals just six percent of officially reported deaths with COVID19 were FROM COVID19 .
As has been the case in other countries , the Centers for Disease Control ( CDC ) has been rigging the numbers to stir alarm and deter dissent from draconian ‘ lockdown ’ measures imposed by local and state authorities .
The trick was attributing on death certificates anyone dying WITH symptoms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , etc ) as dying FROM the virus .
Data from multiple sources from around the world has shown that typically patients notified as a death with the virus already had two or more severe co-morbidities ( such as cancers , pneumonia , heart disease , etc ) .
So that the likely cause of death could be from those existing illnesses , not the virus , itself .
It was and is pure guesswork to assign any death to the virus .
But the consensus narrative has been to downplay these confounding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus which has not yet been clinically isolated and proven as a new pathogen in science .
But this week the CDC quietly updated the Covid number to admit that only 6 % of all the 153,504 deaths recorded actually died from Covid .
9,210 deaths ( screenshot above ) .
The other 94 % had 2 to 3 other serious illnesses and the overwhelming majority were of very advanced age ; 90 % in nursing homes .

Finally, CDC Admits Just 9,210 Americans Died FROM Covid19
Written by John O'Sullivan
We had suspected governments were manipulating the death toll numbers from the coronavirus pandemic. But the full extent of the fraud has only now become apparent as the CDC’s own data reveals just six percent of officially reported deaths with COVID19 were FROM COVID19.
As has been the case in other countries, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been rigging the numbers to stir alarm and deter dissent from draconian ‘lockdown’ measures imposed by local and state authorities.
The trick was attributing on death certificates anyone dying WITH symptoms of COVID (respiratory infection, coughing, etc) as dying FROM the virus.
Data from multiple sources from around the world has shown that typically patients notified as a death with the virus already had two or more severe co-morbidities (such as cancers, pneumonia, heart disease, etc). So that the likely cause of death could be from those existing illnesses, not the virus, itself. It was and is pure guesswork to assign any death to the virus.
But the consensus narrative has been to downplay these confounding factors and place the emphasis on a coronavirus which has not yet been clinically isolated and proven as a new pathogen in science.
But this week the CDC quietly updated the Covid number to admit that only 6% of all the 153,504 deaths recorded actually died from Covid. 9,210 deaths (screenshot above). The other 94% had 2 to 3 other serious illnesses and the overwhelming majority were of very advanced age; 90% in nursing homes.
(H/T Raylene Lightheart)
“This week the CDC quietly updated the Covid number to admit that only 6% of all the 153,504 deaths recorded actually died from Covid. 9,210 deaths. The other 94% had 2 to 3 other serious illnesses and the overwhelming majority were of very advanced age; 90% in nursing homes. https:// pic.twitter.com/mRhpPZaj18“ Gaming the Presidential Election? Back in July US President Donald Trump retweeted a post accusing the CDC of lying about the coronavirus to prevent his reelection: The Trump tweet reads: “The most outrageous lies are the ones about Covid 19. Everyone is lying. The CDC, Media, Democrats, our Doctors, not all but most, that we are told to trust.”I think it’s all about the election and keeping the economy from coming back, which is about the election. I’m sick of it.” But as we have reported earlier, there is a lack of compelling scientific evidence to establish the existence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID19). There is no ‘gold standard’ for the disease and scientists dispute one will ever be found. The RT-qPCR tests used are controversial insofar as they are known to register existing human DNA as a marker for the virus, which is why so many false positives are being found. The very idea that a vaccine can be developed for a virus not yet isolated/proven is becoming the subject of much debate. See: ‘COVID-19: Vaccine ‘Not Possible’ For A Virus Not Yet Quantifiable.’ A key problems with the RT-PCR tests widely being used is that they cannot identify and discriminate between the different corona virus types. In effect, someone simply with a common cold could cause a positive test result. What is not being reported in the mainstream media is that the PCR test is not looking for the entire sequence of the COVID-19 virus (which has never been determined). Instead, the test can only identify a nucleate common to all coronaviruses Against what standard can it be calibrated to determine repeatability? The answer is none. It is also in fact not a diagnostic tool. Its the only low cost tool they have so its being used for a purpose that it is not designed for. i.e. not fit for purpose and are “scientifically meaningless.” Professor Kary Mullis, the inventor of this test and who won the Nobel prize in chemistry in 1993 for it regarded the PCR as inappropriate to detect a viral infection. In short, the pandemic response by policymakers and government science ‘experts’ is premised on guesswork and has veered towards the very alarmist end of the spectrum. Once we put the 2019/20 pandemic ‘crisis’ in a year on year perspective it becomes starkly evident that this ‘novel coronavirus’ was of no greater impact than a severe influenza season, and certainly not sufficient justification for the devastating shutdown of the global economy with concomitant and more deadly impacts. *** About the author: John O’Sullivan John is CEO and co-founder (with Dr Tim Ball) of Principia Scientific International (PSI). John is a seasoned science writer and legal analyst who assisted Dr Ball in defeating world leading climate expert, Michael ‘hockey stick’ Mann in the ‘science trial of the century‘. O’Sullivan is credited as the visionary who formed the original ‘Slayers’ group of scientists in 2010 who then collaborated in creating the world’s first full-volume debunk of the greenhouse gas theory plus their new follow-up book. PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX. Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method.
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principiascientificinternational--2020-08-31--Former UK Government Scientist Condemns Medical Tyranny

I ’ ve mentioned several times in previous articles I am acquainted with a retired former government scientist .
At retirement he was at G7 level , and was involved in number-crunching and data-analysis for various areas of government .
He had also advised a previous Prime Minister on matters of medical science .
He has recently commented on various aspects of the current virus situation , and I present some of the most relevant ones below .
Here , he comments on mask-wearing : “ I ’ d like to explain as simply as possible why some experts are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paradoxically , mask wearing may lead us into deep water .
Strangely enough I don ’ t count doctors and nurses as experts unless they ’ re well-boned up in virology , infectious diseases or qualified in PPE .
When the epidemic broke the World Health Organisation issued advice on the assumption that SARS-COV-2 transmission was via large droplet contamination of surfaces .
Medical authorities around the globe then set about putting systems in place with hand washing and mask wearing being the necessary backbone .
If large droplet transmission were all we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be vital and extremely effective .
Virologists then discovered that SARS-COV-2 is transmitted in aerosol form , and rode on droplets so fine it passed through even N95 mask mesh .
The World Health Organisation resisted admitting this for quite a while .
Meanwhile , mask wearing as a primary protective measure got under way around the globe .
We have ended with a situation where the public ( and some medics ) think they are safe because they are wearing a mask , and that their mask will stop them spreading the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do if transmission were by large droplet alone but it ’ s not , it ’ s also by fine aerosol .
Thus , a masked and healthy person walking into a room where an infected but masked individual is standing will still get infected since the viral aerosol passes right through both masks as though they are not there .
The aerosol is formed simply by an infected person breathing or talking and can hang around in the air within an enclosed space for a long time and travel more than 2 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rather scary and seldom discussed , and one reason why it is so contagious .
By entering that room , the healthy person risks infection regardless of whether masks are worn or not .
If they enter the ( invisible ) aerosol cloud then infection is certain .
Some experts worry that by relying on masks the public are putting themselves at greater risk because they think they are safe when they are not .
The only safe option is not to enter the room or at least get a good airflow going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with little airflow and many people are going to be the most dangerous places whether masks are worn or not .
This is something the public ( and some medics ) are not aware of and it concerns me to see so many people thinking everything will be fine if they all wear a mask and bully others into doing so .
What alarms me is that the UK government should have educated the nation about this the minute the World Health Organisation admitted transmission by aerosol .
Some among you may guess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why a return to ‘ normal ’ has been phased in on the pretext of alleged protective face coverings .
( My emphasis ) ” In late August , amid rumours Birmingham is about to be put under full lockdown again , he made this comment : • All depends on the number of tests being undertaken .
More tests means more identified cases .
If we are being sensible about this ( and I think we should ) we should look at the number of cases per 100 tests undertaken .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic for the UK ( see attached slide ) .
• A positive case doesn ’ t automatically mean somebody in critical condition fighting for their life .
As we should all know by now , the vast majority of people tested ( 80 % ) only suffer mild symptoms and some folk ( asymptotic carriers ) don ’ t even know they ’ ve got the disease !
When we thoroughly test the wider population we ’ ll likely find 80 % is a conservative estimate for mild cases .
• The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ active virus , the dead virus or a virus fragment .
Anybody who has had the disease and fully recovered will test positive .
New positive cases are therefore not necessarily new active ( infectious ) cases but could easily be people who had the disease a couple months back and are now immune .
( Emphasis added ) • The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at Oxford University point out that for every 100 tests between 2 and 4 are coming back positive when the result should be negative ( false positive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the last stages of the pandemic this false positive rate greatly skews results .
• A person tested twice can show both negative and positive .
The data authorities are only taking the positive result .
( Emphasis added ) ” On the subject of PCR testing , he said : “ A positive PCR test can be triggered by the ‘ flu and , in fact , can be triggered by the common cold .
All depends on the test used – some differentiate a few viruses whereas cheaper tests differentiate a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is just coming to light is that an 18-base PCR test sequence for identifying SARS-COV-2 ( as defined by the WHO ) is also the same base sequence for Homo Sapiens chromosome 8 , GRCh38.p13 Primary Assembly…yes , we are being tested for being human .
It was the WHO who decided what RNA sequences to use – ’ nuff said !
When they started plugging the RT-PCR test all over the shop I guessed they ’ d nobbled the test .
Those tests designed to detect virus RNA have got around two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is shed from the body , after that they ’ ll pick up Chr8 or return a false positive .
‘ Flu antibodies can last a lifetime so an antibody test is useless at detecting a novel infection , this is where old-fashioned diagnosis comes in .
Under normal circumstances ( and even severe seasonal outbreaks ) medics don ’ t normally rely on testing – all of this is being pushed on them by the WHO.
” ( Emphasis added in both paragraphs ) During August , there were media stories of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus , and people were advised not to let their cats out of the house , and to avoid physical contact with them , to reduce the chances of catching the virus .
He commented : • SARS-COV-2 ( the virus ) isn ’ t COVID-19 ( the condition ) .
The press and even some experts confuse the two .
• A positive test for SARS-COV-2 doesn ’ t mean folk have or will go on to develop COVID-19 symptoms .
• The test can not distinguish between the SARS-COV-2 virus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of common ‘ flu will trigger a positive result .
( Emphasis added ) • The test is notorious for giving false positive results .
Much depends on levels of amplification .
• Test kits in Tanzania raised suspicion after samples taken from a goat and a pawpaw fruit came back with positive results .
( Emphasis added ) • Cats , like most animals , are riddled with coronaviruses and the majority will test positive .
The COVID-19 designation was arrived at by an imaginative Vet .
Talking about the much-touted miracle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I ’ m not an anti-vaxxer by any means but believe everybody has the sovereign right over their own body .
All medical procedures come with a risk and vaccines are no exception .
In the case of any COVID-19 vaccine the public will not be permitted to sue for compensation for injury or death and the vaccine will be issued to millions without the safety net of long-term trials and comprehensive toxicity data .
( Emphasis added ) Against this we must weigh the risk of an infection that leaves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ untold number with no symptoms .
Out of the 29,485 deaths reported by NHS England to 19th August only 1,390 were of people without pre-existing conditions .
( Emphasis added ) The chances of any vaccine working are estimated to be 50 % at best and we have no idea of the extent of herd immunity that will have already naturally developed among the population .
This may well be considerable since the latest research reveals the virus likely got to these shores as early as December , if not before , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The only person who should weigh these risks is you.
” As I understand it , a new vaccine can take up to five years to develop and test before it is passed as fit for use .
These Covid vaccines are apparently being rushed into production without any of the normal checks and balances .
Many of those who have volunteered to be test subjects have reported side effects such as headaches , nausea , muscle-fatigue and lethargy .
We are also told any Covid vaccine will need to be regularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very weak .
With this in mind , is it any wonder so many people are saying they will refuse any such vaccine ?
I rather suspect our government will do the same as New Zealand .
They won ’ t make the vaccine mandatory , but will stop benefit payments to anyone who does not agree to have it , and may well instruct companies not to employ anyone who hasn ’ t had it .
This will effectively make you unable to find work , and you may find yourself refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , tourist attractions , public transport , products and services .
You would be shunned by society and effectively become a ‘ non-citizen ’ with no rights , like in the acclaimed 70s tv series 1990 starring Edward Woodward .
You will probably be unable to keep up payments on your house , so your mortgage company will foreclose on you , effectively making you bankrupt .
You may well be evicted from your house and have to live on the streets with just what you can carry , and will probably starve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This appears to be where we are headed .
Do as you ’ re told by the state or face being expunged from society .
About the author : Andy Rowlands is a regular contributor to Principia Scientific International ; a British independent researcher and writer and assistant editor of the game-changing new climate science book , The Sky Dragon Slayers : Victory Lap .
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL , legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes .
Head Office : 27 Old Gloucester Street , London WC1N 3AX @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method .

Former UK Government Scientist Condemns Medical Tyranny
Written by Andy Rowlands
I’ve mentioned several times in previous articles I am acquainted with a retired former government scientist. At retirement he was at G7 level, and was involved in number-crunching and data-analysis for various areas of government. He had also advised a previous Prime Minister on matters of medical science.
He has recently commented on various aspects of the current virus situation, and I present some of the most relevant ones below.
Here, he comments on mask-wearing:
“I’d like to explain as simply as possible why some experts are worried about mask wearing and why, paradoxically, mask wearing may lead us into deep water. Strangely enough I don’t count doctors and nurses as experts unless they’re well-boned up in virology, infectious diseases or qualified in PPE. When the epidemic broke the World Health Organisation issued advice on the assumption that SARS-COV-2 transmission was via large droplet contamination of surfaces. Medical authorities around the globe then set about putting systems in place with hand washing and mask wearing being the necessary backbone. If large droplet transmission were all we had to worry about then masks would be vital and extremely effective. Virologists then discovered that SARS-COV-2 is transmitted in aerosol form, and rode on droplets so fine it passed through even N95 mask mesh. The World Health Organisation resisted admitting this for quite a while. Meanwhile, mask wearing as a primary protective measure got under way around the globe. We have ended with a situation where the public (and some medics) think they are safe because they are wearing a mask, and that their mask will stop them spreading the virus to others. It certainly would do if transmission were by large droplet alone but it’s not, it’s also by fine aerosol. Thus, a masked and healthy person walking into a room where an infected but masked individual is standing will still get infected since the viral aerosol passes right through both masks as though they are not there. The aerosol is formed simply by an infected person breathing or talking and can hang around in the air within an enclosed space for a long time and travel more than 2 metres. This feature of SARS-COV-2 is rather scary and seldom discussed, and one reason why it is so contagious. By entering that room, the healthy person risks infection regardless of whether masks are worn or not. If they enter the (invisible) aerosol cloud then infection is certain. Some experts worry that by relying on masks the public are putting themselves at greater risk because they think they are safe when they are not. The only safe option is not to enter the room or at least get a good airflow going before entering. Small, enclosed spaces with little airflow and many people are going to be the most dangerous places whether masks are worn or not. This is something the public (and some medics) are not aware of and it concerns me to see so many people thinking everything will be fine if they all wear a mask and bully others into doing so. What alarms me is that the UK government should have educated the nation about this the minute the World Health Organisation admitted transmission by aerosol. Some among you may guess why they didn’t, and why a return to ‘normal’ has been phased in on the pretext of alleged protective face coverings. (My emphasis)”
In late August, amid rumours Birmingham is about to be put under full lockdown again, he made this comment:
“Right now a rather insidious game is being played by the mainstream media called ‘The Numbers Are Going Up!’ What the public need to realise is that an increase in the number of reported COVID-19 cases has no intrinsic clinical meaning and I shall explain why in just five pithy points:
All depends on the number of tests being undertaken. More tests means more identified cases. If we are being sensible about this (and I think we should) we should look at the number of cases per 100 tests undertaken. When we do this we find a fast-disappearing pandemic for the UK (see attached slide). A positive case doesn’t automatically mean somebody in critical condition fighting for their life. As we should all know by now, the vast majority of people tested (80%) only suffer mild symptoms and some folk (asymptotic carriers) don’t even know they’ve got the disease! When we thoroughly test the wider population we’ll likely find 80% is a conservative estimate for mild cases. The PCR test cannot distinguish between the active virus, the dead virus or a virus fragment. Anybody who has had the disease and fully recovered will test positive. New positive cases are therefore not necessarily new active (infectious) cases but could easily be people who had the disease a couple months back and are now immune. (Emphasis added) The Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at Oxford University point out that for every 100 tests between 2 and 4 are coming back positive when the result should be negative (false positive). They point out that in the last stages of the pandemic this false positive rate greatly skews results. A person tested twice can show both negative and positive. The data authorities are only taking the positive result. (Emphasis added)”
His slide:
On the subject of PCR testing, he said:
“A positive PCR test can be triggered by the ‘flu and, in fact, can be triggered by the common cold. All depends on the test used – some differentiate a few viruses whereas cheaper tests differentiate a whole bunch. A new issue that is just coming to light is that an 18-base PCR test sequence for identifying SARS-COV-2 (as defined by the WHO) is also the same base sequence for Homo Sapiens chromosome 8, GRCh38.p13 Primary Assembly…yes, we are being tested for being human. It was the WHO who decided what RNA sequences to use – ’nuff said! When they started plugging the RT-PCR test all over the shop I guessed they’d nobbled the test. Those tests designed to detect virus RNA have got around two weeks before the virus is clobbered and is shed from the body, after that they’ll pick up Chr8 or return a false positive. ‘Flu antibodies can last a lifetime so an antibody test is useless at detecting a novel infection, this is where old-fashioned diagnosis comes in. Under normal circumstances (and even severe seasonal outbreaks) medics don’t normally rely on testing – all of this is being pushed on them by the WHO.” (Emphasis added in both paragraphs)
During August, there were media stories of domestic cats being found to have the virus, and people were advised not to let their cats out of the house, and to avoid physical contact with them, to reduce the chances of catching the virus. He commented:
SARS-COV-2 (the virus) isn’t COVID-19 (the condition). The press and even some experts confuse the two. A positive test for SARS-COV-2 doesn’t mean folk have or will go on to develop COVID-19 symptoms. The test cannot distinguish between the SARS-COV-2 virus and any other coronavirus – a previous episode of common ‘flu will trigger a positive result. (Emphasis added) The test is notorious for giving false positive results. Much depends on levels of amplification. Test kits in Tanzania raised suspicion after samples taken from a goat and a pawpaw fruit came back with positive results. (Emphasis added) Cats, like most animals, are riddled with coronaviruses and the majority will test positive. The COVID-19 designation was arrived at by an imaginative Vet.
Talking about the much-touted miracle vaccines being hastily developed, he said:
“I’m not an anti-vaxxer by any means but believe everybody has the sovereign right over their own body. All medical procedures come with a risk and vaccines are no exception. In the case of any COVID-19 vaccine the public will not be permitted to sue for compensation for injury or death and the vaccine will be issued to millions without the safety net of long-term trials and comprehensive toxicity data. (Emphasis added) Against this we must weigh the risk of an infection that leaves ~80% with mild symptoms and an untold number with no symptoms. Out of the 29,485 deaths reported by NHS England to 19th August only 1,390 were of people without pre-existing conditions. (Emphasis added) The chances of any vaccine working are estimated to be 50% at best and we have no idea of the extent of herd immunity that will have already naturally developed among the population. This may well be considerable since the latest research reveals the virus likely got to these shores as early as December, if not before, but went unreported or misdiagnosed as something else. The only person who should weigh these risks is you.”
As I understand it, a new vaccine can take up to five years to develop and test before it is passed as fit for use. These Covid vaccines are apparently being rushed into production without any of the normal checks and balances. Many of those who have volunteered to be test subjects have reported side effects such as headaches, nausea, muscle-fatigue and lethargy. We are also told any Covid vaccine will need to be regularly administered, which means it must be very weak.
With this in mind, is it any wonder so many people are saying they will refuse any such vaccine?
I rather suspect our government will do the same as New Zealand. They won’t make the vaccine mandatory, but will stop benefit payments to anyone who does not agree to have it, and may well instruct companies not to employ anyone who hasn’t had it. This will effectively make you unable to find work, and you may find yourself refused entry or access to shops, museums, tourist attractions, public transport, products and services.
You would be shunned by society and effectively become a ‘non-citizen’ with no rights, like in the acclaimed 70s tv series 1990 starring Edward Woodward. You will probably be unable to keep up payments on your house, so your mortgage company will foreclose on you, effectively making you bankrupt. You may well be evicted from your house and have to live on the streets with just what you can carry, and will probably starve to death or die of exposure.
This appears to be where we are headed. Do as you’re told by the state or face being expunged from society.
About the author: Andy Rowlands is a regular contributor to Principia Scientific International; a British independent researcher and writer and assistant editor of the game-changing new climate science book, The Sky Dragon Slayers: Victory Lap.
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method.
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principiascientificinternational--2020-08-31--Positronium’s energy levels baffle scientists

Positronium is positively puzzling .
A new measurement of the exotic “ atom ” — consisting of an electron and its antiparticle , a positron — disagrees with theoretical calculations , scientists report in the Aug. 14 Physical Review Letters .
And physicists are at a loss to explain it .
A flaw in either the calculations or the experiment seems unlikely , researchers say .
And new phenomena , such as undiscovered particles , also don ’ t provide an easy answer , adds theoretical physicist Jesús Pérez Ríos of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the best I can tell you is , we don ’ t know , ” says Pérez Ríos , who was not involved with the new research .
Positronium is composed of an electron , with a negative charge , circling in orbit with a positron , with a positive charge — making what ’ s effectively an atom without a nucleus ( SN : 9/12/07 ) .
With just two particles and free from the complexities of a nucleus , positronium is appealingly simple .
Its simplicity means it can be used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electrodynamics , which explains how electrically charged particles interact .
A team of physicists from University College London measured the separation between two specific energy levels of positronium , what ’ s known as its fine structure .
The researchers formed positronium by colliding a beam of positrons with a target , where they met up with electrons .
After manipulating the positronium atoms with a laser to put them in the appropriate energy level , the team hit them with microwave radiation to induce some of them to jump to another energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of radiation needed to make the atoms take the leap , which is equivalent to finding the size of the gap between the energy levels .
While the frequency predicted from calculations was about 18,498 megahertz , the researchers measured about 18,501 megahertz , a difference of about 0.02 percent .
Given that the estimated experimental error was only about 0.003 percent , that ’ s a wide gap .
The team searched for experimental issues that could explain the result , but came up empty .
Additional experiments are now needed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Akira Ishida of the University of Tokyo , who was not involved with the study .
“ If there is still significant discrepancy after further precise measurements , the situation becomes much more exciting.
” The theoretical prediction also seems solid .
In quantum electrodynamics , making predictions involves calculating to a certain level of precision , leaving out terms that are less significant and more difficult to calculate .
Those additional terms are expected to be too small to account for the discrepancy .
But , “ it ’ s conceivable that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ theoretical physicist Greg Adkins of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster , Pa. , also not involved with the research .
If the experiments and the theoretical calculations check out , the discrepancy might be due to a new particle , but that explanation also seems unlikely .
A new particle ’ s effects probably would have shown up in earlier experiments .
For example , says Pérez Ríos , positronium ’ s energy levels could be affected by a hypothetical axion-like particle .
That ’ s a lightweight particle that has the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invisible type of matter thought to permeate the universe .
But if that type of particle was causing this mismatch , researchers would also have seen its effects in measurements of the magnetic properties of the electron and its heavier cousin , the muon .
That leaves scientists still searching for an answer , says physicist David Cassidy , a coauthor of the study .
“ It ’ s going to be something surprising .
I just don ’ t know what. ”

Positronium’s energy levels baffle scientists
Written by Emily Conover
Positronium is positively puzzling. A new measurement of the exotic “atom” — consisting of an electron and its antiparticle, a positron — disagrees with theoretical calculations, scientists report in the Aug. 14 Physical Review Letters. And physicists are at a loss to explain it.
A flaw in either the calculations or the experiment seems unlikely, researchers say. And new phenomena, such as undiscovered particles, also don’t provide an easy answer, adds theoretical physicist Jesús Pérez Ríos of the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society in Berlin. “Right now, the best I can tell you is, we don’t know,” says Pérez Ríos, who was not involved with the new research.
Positronium is composed of an electron, with a negative charge, circling in orbit with a positron, with a positive charge — making what’s effectively an atom without a nucleus (SN: 9/12/07). With just two particles and free from the complexities of a nucleus, positronium is appealingly simple. Its simplicity means it can be used to precisely test the theory of quantum electrodynamics, which explains how electrically charged particles interact.
A team of physicists from University College London measured the separation between two specific energy levels of positronium, what’s known as its fine structure. The researchers formed positronium by colliding a beam of positrons with a target, where they met up with electrons. After manipulating the positronium atoms with a laser to put them in the appropriate energy level, the team hit them with microwave radiation to induce some of them to jump to another energy level. The researchers pinpointed the frequency of radiation needed to make the atoms take the leap, which is equivalent to finding the size of the gap between the energy levels. While the frequency predicted from calculations was about 18,498 megahertz, the researchers measured about 18,501 megahertz, a difference of about 0.02 percent. Given that the estimated experimental error was only about 0.003 percent, that’s a wide gap. The team searched for experimental issues that could explain the result, but came up empty. Additional experiments are now needed to help investigate the mismatch, says physicist Akira Ishida of the University of Tokyo, who was not involved with the study. “If there is still significant discrepancy after further precise measurements, the situation becomes much more exciting.” The theoretical prediction also seems solid. In quantum electrodynamics, making predictions involves calculating to a certain level of precision, leaving out terms that are less significant and more difficult to calculate. Those additional terms are expected to be too small to account for the discrepancy. But, “it’s conceivable that you could be surprised,” says theoretical physicist Greg Adkins of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., also not involved with the research. If the experiments and the theoretical calculations check out, the discrepancy might be due to a new particle, but that explanation also seems unlikely. A new particle’s effects probably would have shown up in earlier experiments. For example, says Pérez Ríos, positronium’s energy levels could be affected by a hypothetical axion-like particle. That’s a lightweight particle that has the potential to explain dark matter, an invisible type of matter thought to permeate the universe. But if that type of particle was causing this mismatch, researchers would also have seen its effects in measurements of the magnetic properties of the electron and its heavier cousin, the muon. That leaves scientists still searching for an answer, says physicist David Cassidy, a coauthor of the study. “It’s going to be something surprising. I just don’t know what.”
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The Lockdown Lobotomy

A dream of a terrifying beast lights up the boys ’ imaginations and has them jumping at shadows .
A fanatical tribe emerges , comprising those most afraid of the island ’ s invisible enemy ; they wear masks which free the id further ( “ The mask was a thing on its own , behind which Jack hid , liberated from shame and self-consciousness ” ) , and , crucially , they develop superstitious rituals which they believe will keep the beast at bay .
The Simpsons is a little more light-hearted .
In the classic episode Much Apu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are terrified by reports of a brown bear roaming the town .
The citizens , angry and afraid , demand the mayor do something .
Later , as a Bear Patrol van rushes past and a jet flies overhead , Homer sighs contentedly and remarks that there isn ’ t a bear in sight .
“ That ’ s specious reasoning , Dad , ” replies Lisa .
“ By your logic , I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away… It doesn ’ t work… It ’ s just a stupid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see any tigers around here , do you ?
” In the real world , back in May , a JP Morgan report found that , in the vast majority of cases , a country ’ s coronavirus infection rate actually decreased once the lockdown had ended .
In fact , looking at COVID-19 deaths , there is a consistent distribution over time in every country around the world , despite their differing approaches and environments .
Coronavirus , as with many things in nature , has followed the distribution of the bell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measures were necessary to flatten this curve .
Now , there is no curve , and yet here we are a few months later , in much the same place , with mandatory face masks to boot .
Whether you believe that the government ’ s measures worked or not is beside the point : ultimately , they will have caused far more damage than the virus ever could .
The cure is worse than the disease .
A report by Her Majesty ’ s Government predicted that 200,000 people would die from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the response to COVID-19 .
Globally , the UN has estimated that 10,000 children every month are dying from hunger due to coronavirus measures ; Oxfam has warned that this could kill 12,000 people per day by 2021 .
Looking at current data , CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield recently explained , “ We ’ re seeing , sadly , far greater suicides now than we are deaths from COVID .
We ’ re seeing far greater deaths from drug overdose… ” Like Chicken Licken , irrationally fearing that the sky is falling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fox ’ s den .
The sad reality is that the state ’ s response to COVID-19 is having a disastrous effect on mental health – the even sadder reality is that there is no way this could have come as a surprise .
Research stretching back decades has indicated the damaging effects of isolation and confinement .
For instance , research has even shown that social isolation among laboratory animals has induced depression and aggression ( Bourke & Neigh , 2011 ; Martin & Brown , 2010 ; Mathews et al.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1999 ) .
A study with chicks found that being separated from the others resulted , likewise , in depression ( e.g.
, less pecking , less mobility , less exploration ) and more distress vocalisations and escape attempts ( Rajecki et al.
, 1977 ) .
Among humans , the findings are much the same .
Exploring the effects of isolation and confinement during simulated space exploration , typical symptoms have included fatigue , sleep disorders , stress , neurocognitive changes , and immune system deficits ( Pagel & Choukèr , 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research station over winter have likewise exhibited depression , hostility , sleep disturbance , and impaired cognition ( Gunderson , 1974 ) .
A review of research concluded that feelings of loneliness heighten sensitivity to social threats , impair executive function , disturb sleep , and lower mental and physical wellbeing ( Cacioppo & Cacioppo , 2014 ) .
A laboratory experiment found that social isolation was associated with higher levels of : stress , restlessness , hostility , depression , worry , regret , hallucinations , vivid dreams , daydreaming , feelings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaking ( Zuckerman et al.
, 1968 ) .
On that last point , some studies have likewise found evidence that isolation produces deficits in cognitive function ( Arranz et al.
, 2009 ; Garrido et al.
, 2013 ; Huang et al.
, 2011 ) .
In medical settings , social isolation has been shown to increase anxiety and depression , while decreasing self-esteem and sense of control ( Gammon , 1998 ) ; another study of isolated patients likewise found that it produces anxiety , depression , sleep withdrawal , regression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & Siegel , 1977 ) ; and , a literature review concurred that isolation in hospitalised patients was found to inculcate depression , anxiety , anger-hostility , fear , and loneliness ( Abad , Fearday & Safdar , 2010 ) .
It is little wonder , therefore , that a recent Babies in Lockdown report suggests babies are being more clingy , violent , and upset since lockdown began ; the mind boggles at the toll this circus is having on the minds of future generations .
Lockdown may even be counterproductive to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stress , social isolation harms the immune system .
Social isolation increases cortisol levels and activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary andrenal axis , both indicators of increased stress sensitivity ( Cacioppo et al.
, 2015 ; Sapolsky , Alberts & Altmann , 1997 ) .
Likewise , loneliness has been linked with increased cortisol levels in human beings ( Adam et al.
, 2006 ; Cacioppo et al.
, 2000 ; Doane & Adam , 2010 ; Hawkley et al.
, 2003 ; Pressman et al.
, 2005 ; Steptoe et al.
, 2004 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plasma levels of glucocorticoid , epinephrine and norepinephrine , which affect the immune system and increase susceptibility to disease ( Cruces et al.
, 2014 ) .
While naysayers may pick holes in specific studies , the quantity and consistency of evidence is overwhelming : lockdown is stressful , it harms cognitive function , and it makes you susceptible to disease .
Ultimately , the toll is high .
A meta-analytic review ( Holt-Lunstad et al.
, 2015 ) found that social isolation increases the likelihood of mortality by 29 % .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suggests the above findings are generalisable to COVID-19 : a 2004 paper investigating responses to SARS in Toronto found that those subjected to quarantine experienced relatively high levels of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder , which increased with the length of the quarantine ( Hawryluck et al.
, 2004 ) .
More recently , a review of studies found that the three conducted during COVID-19 reported restlessness , irritability , anxiety , and clinginess in children , while pre-COVID studies found that the most common diagnoses among children after quarantine were acute stress @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and , again , post-traumatic stress disorder ( Imran et al.
, 2020 ) .
If anything , the current situation may be worse than that investigated by previous research .
Rather than quarantining specific individuals , the entire ( almost global ) population has been subject to a programme of so-called social distancing , which reaches far beyond staying at home .
There is solid evidence showing a consistent pattern that keeping a social distance from others is socially destructive .
In Stanley Milgram ’ s famous electric shock experiments , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be a fatal electric shock to someone in another room , because they had been instructed to do so by a researcher in a lab coat ( no doubt a WHO badge would work as well today ) .
Importantly , Milgram found that social distance contributed to the participants ’ ruthless apathy : when the person being shocked was in the same room , compliance with administering the fatal voltage decreased from 65 % to 40 % .
Being close to someone – seeing their face – humanises them and increases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , social discounting refers to the finding that people are more pro-social towards those who are closer to them ( Jones & Rachlin , 2006 ) ; multiple studies researching the proximity principle have shown that physical closeness induces psychological liking ( e.g.
, Kahn & McGaughey , 1977 ; Shin et al.
, 2019 ) ; the identifiable victim effect has shown that people are more generous towards causes which highlight an affected individual than those which use statistics ( Lee & Feeley , 2016 ) ; and Vohs et al .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with money made people sit further apart from others and opt to work on their own , as well as donate less money to a cause , volunteer less time to help others , and be less likely to help someone pick up some dropped pencils , suggesting that isolation and self-serving behaviour share common psychological processes .
Face masks , meanwhile , are simply an extension of lockdown to the outside world – they serve to keep us socially and psychologically distanced from our fellow man .
A thesis submitted to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) reviewed social psychology studies and psychodynamic theories , and conducted multiple novel experiments , concluding that masks reduce self-awareness , consciousness , and identity .
If you doubt the research , ask yourself : do you think wearing a face mask will have any kind of psychological effect ; and , if so , what is it likely to be ?
There is a reason masks are chiefly worn by anarchists , criminals and perverts .
In the real world , anecdotal evidence for the antisocial effects of masks is mounting .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Twitter , one young woman was screamed at by a masked man , well in excess of 300lb , about the danger she posed to his health .
My fiancée , 5 ’ 2 and sweet , is confronted every time she uses public transport , and was even once followed by an outraged masked man .
The Daily Mail recently reported that British women feel more aggressed by men since mask mandates have come in ; Claire Barnett , the Executive Director of UN Women UK , warned about “ the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ further rises in harassment and threatening actions towards women , girls and minoritised groups.
” Similarly , a poll of 2,000 people by consulting firm Redfield and Wilson Strategies found that 43 % of respondents reported having seen people arguing with someone over their decision not to wear a face mask , and 37 % of these have seen it devolve into physical aggression .
Incidents of “ mask rage ” , according to The Guardian ( of all places ) , are making disabled people fearful of venturing out in public : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a man who has a disability exempting him from wearing a mask , yet received a “ complete torrent of abuse ” in public and was told , “ If you can ’ t wear a mask , you shouldn ’ t be allowed out.
” All of this suggests a nasty , intolerant , insular culture developing – which comes as no surprise to psychologists .
The public ’ s recent obsession with contagion has activated what is known as the behavioural immune system , where disgust produces socially conservative responses .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ on their politics next to a hand sanitizer , they identify themselves as more conservative ( Helzer & Pizarro , 2011 ) ; or , when people take part in a survey about a minority group in a room with an unpleasant smell , they are less tolerant ( Golec , Waldzus & Cypryanska , 2014 ) .
This is an evolved response to limit the spread of disease , by suppressing nonconformist behaviour and excluding unfamiliar people .
In the real world , coronavirus has driven ‘ cancel culture ’ into overdrive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ focus on purity , they have appropriately become puritans .
Anyone who dares to poke their head above the parapet and express a heretical opinion is promptly punished .
Going outside without a face mask , questioning the safety of rushed vaccines on Facebook , or writing an article like this will invariably result in a sharp electric ‘ shock ’ of shaming from the hive mind at large .
Recently , Tom Goodwin , a ( former ) senior executive at Publicis , was forced out of his job for Tweeting about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outweigh the COVID deaths themselves .
In short , an obsession with purity has made 2020 a bad time to be a heretic .
The bizarre contrast between , say , how walking in the park was shamed while Black Lives Matter congregations were celebrated suggests there are no bases in standards or logic : this is an irrational , mindless cult , and it is unlikely to end well .
The original Puritans burnt ‘ witches ’ at the stake to inflict psychological torture on the crowd and keep them under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end at online mobs and wrecked careers .
Yet , as the German romantic poet Christian Heine once said , “ Where they burn books , they will too in the end burn people.
” The state , and those members of the public who mindlessly support its crushing and destructive measures , will have a different sort of handwashing to do in the coming years .
“ What need fear we who knows it , when none can call our power to account , ” asked Lady Macbeth , as she scrubbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on board with this – with the lockdown , the social distancing , the face masks – sanctimoniously heckle those who conscientiously object ( “ Granny killer !
” ) while turning a blind eye to the suicides , poverty , and social dissolution they are tacitly supporting .
That is not to say they are evil in the traditional sense – rather , they are participating in what is known as banal or everyday evil .
Coline Covington describes this as “ the result of a particular sort of mindlessness , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result of surrendering one ’ s mind , memory or capacity for self-reflection and therefore shame to a totalitarian regime or leader… This is a state of mind in which the de-personalisation of the other takes over and paves the way for licenced brutality… because it is a state of mind , we are all susceptible to it ” .
Covington explains that we are particularly susceptible when individual or group identity is threatened – such as , by face masks perhaps ( Cooper , 1999 ) , or by social isolation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ public use masks to cover their face , but it may as well be their eyes : we are sleepwalking into a totalitarian nightmare .
A section of society has been screaming about fascism since Brexit , but now fascism has actually arrived , and they are cheering it on .
Ultimately , the state ’ s response to COVID-19 is indefensible and a terrifying portent of what ’ s to come .
It has engendered disconnection through social distancing , isolation through lockdown , and deindividuation through face masks – with signs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a result .
This is to say nothing of the devastating impact on the economy and , worse , human life .
If you still think these measures are for the common good , perhaps the lockdown really has dulled your senses .
Perhaps , with Daddy Government ’ s permission , you should get out more .
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL , legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes .
Head Office : 27 Old Gloucester Street , London WC1N 3AX .
Please DONATE TODAY To Help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Method .

The Lockdown Lobotomy
Written by Patrick Fagan
“Maybe there is a beast… Maybe it’s only us,” pondered Simon, in William Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies. In the book, a group of juveniles are stranded on a tropical island. Without the constraints of grown-up civilisation, primitive terrors break free from the subconscious and drive the boys hysterical. “The sleep of reason produces monsters”, as Goya wrote.
A dream of a terrifying beast lights up the boys’ imaginations and has them jumping at shadows. A fanatical tribe emerges, comprising those most afraid of the island’s invisible enemy; they wear masks which free the id further (“The mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness”), and, crucially, they develop superstitious rituals which they believe will keep the beast at bay.
It doesn’t end well.
The Simpsons is a little more light-hearted. In the classic episode Much Apu About Nothing, the residents of Springfield are terrified by reports of a brown bear roaming the town. The citizens, angry and afraid, demand the mayor do something. Later, as a Bear Patrol van rushes past and a jet flies overhead, Homer sighs contentedly and remarks that there isn’t a bear in sight.
“That’s specious reasoning, Dad,” replies Lisa. “By your logic, I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away… It doesn’t work… It’s just a stupid rock. But I don’t see any tigers around here, do you?”
Homer buys the rock; cum hoc ergo propter hoc.
In the real world, back in May, a JP Morgan report found that, in the vast majority of cases, a country’s coronavirus infection rate actually decreased once the lockdown had ended. In fact, looking at COVID-19 deaths, there is a consistent distribution over time in every country around the world, despite their differing approaches and environments. Coronavirus, as with many things in nature, has followed the distribution of the bell curve.
We were told that totalitarian measures were necessary to flatten this curve. Now, there is no curve, and yet here we are a few months later, in much the same place, with mandatory face masks to boot.
Whether you believe that the government’s measures worked or not is beside the point: ultimately, they will have caused far more damage than the virus ever could. The cure is worse than the disease.
We are seeking refuge in a fox’s den
A report by Her Majesty’s Government predicted that 200,000 people would die from delayed healthcare and economic recession caused by the response to COVID-19. Globally, the UN has estimated that 10,000 children every month are dying from hunger due to coronavirus measures; Oxfam has warned that this could kill 12,000 people per day by 2021. Looking at current data, CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield recently explained, “We’re seeing, sadly, far greater suicides now than we are deaths from COVID. We’re seeing far greater deaths from drug overdose…”
Like Chicken Licken, irrationally fearing that the sky is falling down, we are seeking refuge in a fox’s den.
The sad reality is that the state’s response to COVID-19 is having a disastrous effect on mental health – the even sadder reality is that there is no way this could have come as a surprise.
Research stretching back decades has indicated the damaging effects of isolation and confinement. For instance, research has even shown that social isolation among laboratory animals has induced depression and aggression (Bourke & Neigh, 2011; Martin & Brown, 2010; Mathews et al., 2008; Parmigiani et al., 1999). A study with chicks found that being separated from the others resulted, likewise, in depression (e.g., less pecking, less mobility, less exploration) and more distress vocalisations and escape attempts (Rajecki et al., 1977).
Among humans, the findings are much the same. Exploring the effects of isolation and confinement during simulated space exploration, typical symptoms have included fatigue, sleep disorders, stress, neurocognitive changes, and immune system deficits (Pagel & Choukèr, 2016). Those confined to an Antarctica research station over winter have likewise exhibited depression, hostility, sleep disturbance, and impaired cognition (Gunderson, 1974). A review of research concluded that feelings of loneliness heighten sensitivity to social threats, impair executive function, disturb sleep, and lower mental and physical wellbeing (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2014).
A laboratory experiment found that social isolation was associated with higher levels of: stress, restlessness, hostility, depression, worry, regret, hallucinations, vivid dreams, daydreaming, feelings of unreality, and difficulty thinking and speaking (Zuckerman et al., 1968). On that last point, some studies have likewise found evidence that isolation produces deficits in cognitive function (Arranz et al., 2009; Garrido et al., 2013; Huang et al., 2011).
In medical settings, social isolation has been shown to increase anxiety and depression, while decreasing self-esteem and sense of control (Gammon, 1998); another study of isolated patients likewise found that it produces anxiety, depression, sleep withdrawal, regression, and delusions (Kellerman, Rigler & Siegel, 1977); and, a literature review concurred that isolation in hospitalised patients was found to inculcate depression, anxiety, anger-hostility, fear, and loneliness (Abad, Fearday & Safdar, 2010). It is little wonder, therefore, that a recent Babies in Lockdown report suggests babies are being more clingy, violent, and upset since lockdown began; the mind boggles at the toll this circus is having on the minds of future generations.
Lockdown may even be counterproductive to fighting coronavirus – that is, via stress, social isolation harms the immune system. Social isolation increases cortisol levels and activity in the hypothalamic-pituitary andrenal axis, both indicators of increased stress sensitivity (Cacioppo et al., 2015; Sapolsky, Alberts & Altmann, 1997). Likewise, loneliness has been linked with increased cortisol levels in human beings (Adam et al., 2006; Cacioppo et al., 2000; Doane & Adam, 2010; Hawkley et al., 2003; Pressman et al., 2005; Steptoe et al., 2004). Importantly, this then increases plasma levels of glucocorticoid, epinephrine and norepinephrine, which affect the immune system and increase susceptibility to disease (Cruces et al., 2014).
In short, lockdown is murder
While naysayers may pick holes in specific studies, the quantity and consistency of evidence is overwhelming: lockdown is stressful, it harms cognitive function, and it makes you susceptible to disease. Ultimately, the toll is high. A meta-analytic review (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015) found that social isolation increases the likelihood of mortality by 29%. In short, lockdown is murder.
Evidence suggests the above findings are generalisable to COVID-19: a 2004 paper investigating responses to SARS in Toronto found that those subjected to quarantine experienced relatively high levels of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, which increased with the length of the quarantine (Hawryluck et al., 2004). More recently, a review of studies found that the three conducted during COVID-19 reported restlessness, irritability, anxiety, and clinginess in children, while pre-COVID studies found that the most common diagnoses among children after quarantine were acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder, grief, and, again, post-traumatic stress disorder (Imran et al., 2020).
If anything, the current situation may be worse than that investigated by previous research. Rather than quarantining specific individuals, the entire (almost global) population has been subject to a programme of so-called social distancing, which reaches far beyond staying at home.
There is solid evidence showing a consistent pattern that keeping a social distance from others is socially destructive.
In Stanley Milgram’s famous electric shock experiments, the majority of participants gave what they thought to be a fatal electric shock to someone in another room, because they had been instructed to do so by a researcher in a lab coat (no doubt a WHO badge would work as well today). Importantly, Milgram found that social distance contributed to the participants’ ruthless apathy: when the person being shocked was in the same room, compliance with administering the fatal voltage decreased from 65% to 40%. Being close to someone – seeing their face – humanises them and increases pro-social behaviour.
Similarly, for example, social discounting refers to the finding that people are more pro-social towards those who are closer to them (Jones & Rachlin, 2006); multiple studies researching the proximity principle have shown that physical closeness induces psychological liking (e.g., Kahn & McGaughey, 1977; Shin et al., 2019); the identifiable victim effect has shown that people are more generous towards causes which highlight an affected individual than those which use statistics (Lee & Feeley, 2016); and Vohs et al. (2006) found that being primed with money made people sit further apart from others and opt to work on their own, as well as donate less money to a cause, volunteer less time to help others, and be less likely to help someone pick up some dropped pencils, suggesting that isolation and self-serving behaviour share common psychological processes.
Face masks, meanwhile, are simply an extension of lockdown to the outside world – they serve to keep us socially and psychologically distanced from our fellow man.
A thesis submitted to the University of Sussex (Cooper, 1999) reviewed social psychology studies and psychodynamic theories, and conducted multiple novel experiments, concluding that masks reduce self-awareness, consciousness, and identity. If you doubt the research, ask yourself: do you think wearing a face mask will have any kind of psychological effect; and, if so, what is it likely to be? There is a reason masks are chiefly worn by anarchists, criminals and perverts.
In the real world, anecdotal evidence for the antisocial effects of masks is mounting. For example, in a video posted to Twitter, one young woman was screamed at by a masked man, well in excess of 300lb, about the danger she posed to his health. My fiancée, 5’2 and sweet, is confronted every time she uses public transport, and was even once followed by an outraged masked man. The Daily Mail recently reported that British women feel more aggressed by men since mask mandates have come in; Claire Barnett, the Executive Director of UN Women UK, warned about “the anonymity face coverings can provide leading to further rises in harassment and threatening actions towards women, girls and minoritised groups.”
Similarly, a poll of 2,000 people by consulting firm Redfield and Wilson Strategies found that 43% of respondents reported having seen people arguing with someone over their decision not to wear a face mask, and 37% of these have seen it devolve into physical aggression. Incidents of “mask rage”, according to The Guardian (of all places), are making disabled people fearful of venturing out in public: the online rag recently carried a testimonial a man who has a disability exempting him from wearing a mask, yet received a “complete torrent of abuse” in public and was told, “If you can’t wear a mask, you shouldn’t be allowed out.”
All of this suggests a nasty, intolerant, insular culture developing – which comes as no surprise to psychologists. The public’s recent obsession with contagion has activated what is known as the behavioural immune system, where disgust produces socially conservative responses. For example, when people are quizzed on their politics next to a hand sanitizer, they identify themselves as more conservative (Helzer & Pizarro, 2011); or, when people take part in a survey about a minority group in a room with an unpleasant smell, they are less tolerant (Golec, Waldzus & Cypryanska, 2014). This is an evolved response to limit the spread of disease, by suppressing nonconformist behaviour and excluding unfamiliar people.
An obsession with purity has made 2020 a bad time to be a heretic
In the real world, coronavirus has driven ‘cancel culture’ into overdrive. With the disease forcing people to focus on purity, they have appropriately become puritans. Anyone who dares to poke their head above the parapet and express a heretical opinion is promptly punished. Going outside without a face mask, questioning the safety of rushed vaccines on Facebook, or writing an article like this will invariably result in a sharp electric ‘shock’ of shaming from the hive mind at large. Recently, Tom Goodwin, a (former) senior executive at Publicis, was forced out of his job for Tweeting about how the non-COVID deaths caused by lockdown outweigh the COVID deaths themselves. In short, an obsession with purity has made 2020 a bad time to be a heretic. The bizarre contrast between, say, how walking in the park was shamed while Black Lives Matter congregations were celebrated suggests there are no bases in standards or logic: this is an irrational, mindless cult, and it is unlikely to end well. The original Puritans burnt ‘witches’ at the stake to inflict psychological torture on the crowd and keep them under the thumb; today, digital witch hunts end at online mobs and wrecked careers. Yet, as the German romantic poet Christian Heine once said, “Where they burn books, they will too in the end burn people.”
The state, and those members of the public who mindlessly support its crushing and destructive measures, will have a different sort of handwashing to do in the coming years. “What need fear we who knows it, when none can call our power to account,” asked Lady Macbeth, as she scrubbed her hands raw.
Those who are on board with this – with the lockdown, the social distancing, the face masks – sanctimoniously heckle those who conscientiously object (“Granny killer!”) while turning a blind eye to the suicides, poverty, and social dissolution they are tacitly supporting.
That is not to say they are evil in the traditional sense – rather, they are participating in what is known as banal or everyday evil. Coline Covington describes this as “the result of a particular sort of mindlessness, a failure to be a person which is the result of surrendering one’s mind, memory or capacity for self-reflection and therefore shame to a totalitarian regime or leader… This is a state of mind in which the de-personalisation of the other takes over and paves the way for licenced brutality… because it is a state of mind, we are all susceptible to it”. Covington explains that we are particularly susceptible when individual or group identity is threatened – such as, by face masks perhaps (Cooper, 1999), or by social isolation (Thoits, 1983).
The public use masks to cover their face, but it may as well be their eyes: we are sleepwalking into a totalitarian nightmare. A section of society has been screaming about fascism since Brexit, but now fascism has actually arrived, and they are cheering it on.
Ultimately, the state’s response to COVID-19 is indefensible and a terrifying portent of what’s to come. It has engendered disconnection through social distancing, isolation through lockdown, and deindividuation through face masks – with signs pointing to social deterioration and psychological damage as a result. This is to say nothing of the devastating impact on the economy and, worse, human life.
If you still think these measures are for the common good, perhaps the lockdown really has dulled your senses. Perhaps, with Daddy Government’s permission, you should get out more.
Read more at thecritic.co.uk
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.
Please DONATE TODAY To Help Our Non-Profit Mission To Defend The Scientific Method.
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