This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
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Brian Malow calls himself “Earth’s Premier Science Comedian”—and who am I to disagree? Even Malow can’t find anything funny about the COVID-19 pandemic, of course. He still has something useful to say, though about the new precautions we’re all suddenly being asked to take. They can seem excessive—even draconian. That’s the wrong way to think about them, however. Here’s how he explains it: