Carl Zimmer Attempts to Educate Trump

According to Wikepedia, Carl Zimmer is "a fellow at Yale University's Morse College and adjunct professor of Molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University. Besides his popular science writing, Zimmer also gives frequent lectures, and has appeared on many radio shows, including National Public Radio's Radiolab, Fresh Air and This American Life."

His books include: A Planet of Viruses ; Evolution, Making Sense of Life ; and The Descent of Man: A Concise Edition.

On April 11, Donald Trump tweeted a response to Zimmer's article in the New York Times, Most New York Coronavirus Cases Came From Europe, Genomes Show, about the origins of the coronavirus infections in New York City.

So now the Fake News @nytimes is tracing the CoronaVirus origins back to Europe, NOT China. This is a first! I wonder what the Failing New York Times got for this one? Are there any NAMED sources? They were recently thrown out of China like dogs, and obviously want back in. Sad!

In a series of tweets, Zimmer replied to Trump's tweet and offered this explanation:

Dear Mr. President: It is important that you and everyone else understand the science of #covid19 because people’s lives depend on it. Let me correct the mistakes in your tweet.

I explain in my article that this new coronavirus originated in China.

As infected people moved, some brought the virus to other countries. People in those countries became infected. Some died.

In mid-March, New York City was deluged with cases of #covid19. More than 8,600 New Yorkers have died, and hundreds are dying every day.

Scientists wanted to know how the virus reached the city. Studying the virus’s genes, they found the answer: mostly from Europe. The virus did not originate in Europe, but it got to New York through Europe.

Are there any named sources you ask? Um, they’re ALL named in the article. See for yourself. https://nytimes.com/2020/04/08/science/new-york-coronavirus-cases-europe-genomes.html

And one more thing: reporters for the New York Times got thrown out of China after helping to expose how the Chinese government played down the severity of #covid19 in the early weeks of the outbreak. I am proud to write for the same newspaper.

Although Zimmer's explanation can be followed by anyone capable of reading, I doubt Trump read it and, even if he did, he didn't understand it because Trump cannot be educated. He is incapable of learning anything beyond what he refers to as his "instincts", but which are actually racist prejudices and gross misconceptions of reality.

Other tweets by various people in response to Trump's are:

If you don't use cartoon pictures, he's not going to be able to pay attention, nor understand your explanation.

Cartoon pictures of large breasts hitting golf balls into the sun, preceded by a double helping of ice cream with Adderall sprinkles, washed down by a 50oz Diet Coke Big Gulp, to be precise.

He hasn’t read a word of the article and never will.  Thank you for your excellent work - you and your colleagues are a national treasure.

Science matters.  He doesn't care.

Someone needs to put Contagion on his television on repeat and then lose the remote.

You will have to start with “What is a virus”. The self-professed “genius” who “just gets this medical stuff” has to have had it explained to him thrice daily since January, at least, and he STILL doesn’t understand what a virus is.

You should go outside and explain algebra to a caterpillar. You’ll have the same results.

It’s incredibly decent of you to try and explain this to him... but he isn’t smart enough to care or to understand.

Keep in mind that Trump doesn't read.  He just hears about things from cable news and his friends and allies.  Genome studies are way above the level of someone who thinks antibiotics can be used to cure viral infections.

John L. Ferri
jlferri@epix.net