Letters to the Editor

Response to ‘Rumours’ column (April 23)

April 29, 2026   ·   0 Comments

Dear Editor,

Your April 23rd issue had a column by Brian Lockhart titled “Rumours.” I feel that the article is misleading at more than one level.

While I do not pretend expertise in every relevant scientific domain, I can state with certainty that his assessment of Y2K is superficial. Mr. Lockhart is presenting the “visible” consequences predicted to happen if the year 2000 issue in computers of the epoch is not addressed. The fact that the preventative efforts by countless IT specialists worked, he concludes it with a “Then – nothing.” Yes, then nothing, exactly because things were taken seriously and correction measures were successfully implemented, not because – as the article seems to suggest – the fear of consequences was exaggerated uselessly.

Mr. Lockhart mentions predictions of flooding New York coastal cities due to global warming, predictions which (luckily) did not materialize. Climatology is notoriously complex and therefore models are used to help understanding it and yes, some predictions will miss the mark. Were the climatologists completely wrong? Low lying islands and atolls in the Pacific and Indian oceans are actually feeling the pressure of rising waters already.

A similar comment can be made on the measures to prevent the spread of Corona virus – a highly contagious and, at least for some individuals, debilitating one. Epidemiology works with models as well, due to the complexities of that field, and scientists concluded that is more prudent to isolate each-other, and it’s not worth the risk of exposure for the convenience of regular life.

And here is the undercurrent of the article: scientists are not to be trusted when they predict problems, it’s just rumours. This, I will argue, is patently wrong: scientists cannot predict accurately the future, and sometimes will just be wrong. However, the scientific method allows for corrections and improvements.

In more practical terms, I think it is better to figure out all these scenarios and prepare for them, than to “let the chips fall where they may, and get on with life without worrying,” and I hope your readers will opt for the ounce of prevention too.

Regards

Sorin Schwimmer

Orangeville

Readers Comments (0)