Pharma companies make fantastic claims about the efficacy of COVID vaccines. But, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. A peer-reviewed study in The Lancet states that vaccines that are hyped to have over 90% efficacy may in reality have under 2% efficacy.
When the rest of the world – people and economies are falling like dominoes, China, the nursery of the virus, recorded very few COVID cases and deaths. What is more, its first-quarter GDP grew 18.3 percent year-on-year. So, what’s cooking?
Depending on who you speak with, astrology/palmistry/face-reading or any other form of prediction is either a science or a pseudo-science. I had my first encounter with astrology at age 23. It had been a chance encounter with a face-reader, who didn’t charge me a penny while making these two dramatic predictions:
Is it not possible that humans from hundreds of different species (yes new species are being discovered all the time) evolved many millions of years ago and that they parted ways as the continents drifted? Think about this: India and Africa were tied together in the super-continent. Both the East coast of Africa and the West coast of India have lions.
We guard our individual and societal identity zealously. But little do we realise that both identities are highly fluid. We derive our identity from merging it with our immediate society and often by rallying against an ‘outsider’, ‘enemy’ – real or imagined. Apes behave similarly.
Why is Northern Cyprus Turkish and Southern Cyprus (Greek) European? Why is Malta European when it is just a couple of hundred kilometers from North Africa? Both Cyprus and Malta lie at 35 degrees Latitude… which is closer to the ‘Middle East’ than ‘Europe’. Why is Finland referred to as a Scandinavian country and not as an Eastern European country? It does not share the Germanic-origin languages as its Nordic neighbours. And a direct Helsinki-Delhi flight is just 6 hours when a Delhi-Munich flight is at least 8 hours.
There is no absolute truth. There are many.
Grey Truths explores life, news, and opinions beyond the obvious. Detail, depth, and nuance are of the essence.
This blog is an attempt to find balance in a world defined by black truths, white lies, prejudices, and closed extremist positions.
Context, connections, and perspective separate truth from lies and one truth from another.
Truths converge and diverge like drops of rain. Some have longer shelf lives. Others have nine lives.
Ultimately the truth(s) lie(s) in your eyes.
Happy reading!
A communications professional for nearly two decades, I have studied accountancy, management, and journalism. But more than anything else, I am a student of and for life.
Rebel against left and right-wing extremism, kite-flying, pretentiousness, and determinism. Fan of dry humour.
I run regularly. It is a form of meditation. I enjoy reading and watching eclectic content. But second only to observing people and nature.
Writing poetry and cooking are occasional indulgences.
Sridhar Chari
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