I intend to take the next two weeks off. Expect my next scheduled MWF post to appear at 5AM Monday, January 4, 2021. Please put that date on your calendar and look for the email so it isn’t shunted off into a Junk, Spam, or Promotions folder.
I have been writing these posts for four years. I am not done. I thank you, my readers, for the encouragement you provide. The task of learning a topic well enough to organize it and then write about it clearly enough that I can understand it myself (and, hopefully, others can, too) is satisfying, exhilarating–and consuming.
As this tumultuous year staggers toward a close I wish you and all of us the happiest, safest, and healthiest holiday season we can possibly manage.
Keep to the high ground,
Jerry
P.S. For a clear explanation of how the new mRNA vaccines work and how they are different from previous vaccine technology I recommend this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMXGGmBfkf8&feature=youtu.be It is probably not perfect in every detail and nuance, but the video is a great animated explanation of how the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines work. [One fine point: the video mentioned something called “self-amplifying mRNA vaccines.” Neither the Pfizer or the Moderna vaccine is “self-amplifying” in the way illustrated as far as I can determine.]