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The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust discussions over what role science should play in society to the forefront. This debate was showcased earlier this year in the sparring between Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) over the use of masks to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Regardless of what the left- or right-leaning media declares, it was not political theater, and there were no winners or losers. A particularly helpful way to frame the debate is to think of it as a scientific discussion about empirical evidence surrounding mask use and how to incorporate it into policy.
For example, when Paul challenged Fauci’s statement that vaccinated individuals should still wear masks to help combat the pandemic, he was not wrong to call it an argument based on conjecture. The data at the time did not support ...
